Domestic Battleground
by Sparks
Summary: The Doctor promised Jackie he’d take Rose back for special occasions. But a whole week with her family? Will he survive, and more importantly, will Rose? Now complete.
1. Prologue

Title: Domestic Battleground

Rating: T – not suitable for younger children, because I have a dirty mind.

Summary: The Doctor promised Jackie he'd take Rose back for special occasions. But a whole week with her family? Will he survive, and more importantly, will Rose?

Notes: This is the prologue. Chapter one should be up later today or tomorrow morning.

Dedication: Jillybean. Here you are, hon.

* * *

Prologue

* * *

The angrier the Doctor was, the louder he got. By his current sulky silence, Rose knew that he was merely annoyed, not truly angry. 

"You did agree," she pointed out reasonably. He grunted and bashed something. He was lying in one of the floor cavities, trying to fix whatever was stopping her having a hot shower. "It was part of your agreement with Mum," she continued. "Remember? You take me back for holidays, birthdays and special occasions. She won't say anything about me disappearing off."

"I remember," the Doctor muttered. "Pass me that thingamajig?"

Rose inspected three different tools before handing a random one over. There was silence for a few minutes, then:

"A whole week?"

"Yeah," Rose nodded. "A whole week of family." She slumped against the wall. "Damn. Any chance of the world ending?"

"Ha! I'd be so lucky!" He sat up. "Your mum doesn't like me," he reminded her.

"You don't like her," she retorted. "It won't be that bad – she's staying with Auntie Julie, and we'll be with Auntie Bridget."

"But we can leave afterwards?" the Doctor checked hopefully.

Rose nodded. "Yup. Right after the reception, we're off. I promise."

"Hmm." He disappeared again. "Will there be cake?"

* * *

Please review! 


	2. Day One

Title: Domestic Battleground

Rating: T – not suitable for younger children, because I have a dirty mind.

Summary: The Doctor promised Jackie he'd take Rose back for special occasions. But a whole week with her family? Will he survive, and more importantly, will Rose?

Dedication: Jillybean, Izzy and my Mum.

Notes: Day one, meet the family.

* * *

Day One

* * *

Rose rang the doorbell, painting a smile onto her face. Inside the house a crowd of her family was waiting to criticise, question, nag, shout at, and lay into her. 

Auntie Bridget opened the door. "Rose!" she exclaimed. "You made it!" She grabbed Rose's shoulder and propelled her inside, talon-like nails digging in. "Jackie! She's here! That Doctor bloke too!"

Rose managed an apologetic smile at the Time Lord before she was engulfed in a hug from her mum. She caught a glimpse of him being led off by her younger cousins before the interrogation started.

"How are you?" Jackie asked, looking her daughter over. "You're too thin. Has he been feeding you?"

"Yes," Rose answered, throwing harried smiles as relatives crowded for her attention. She caught sight of her other aunt – Julie – and Julie's husband, Sam. Uncle Jeff was skulking in the background. The older cousins were milling around – she could see Sandy, Josh, Tim and Izzy. "Where's Bella?" she asked.

"In her bedroom," Julie told her, pressing a cup of tea into her hands. "So where've you been this time? Not even a postcard, not that it's unusual…"

"Uh, Egypt," Rose managed. "Hi, Auntie Julie. Hi, Izzy." She gave a genuine smile to her favourite cousin. "How's uni?"

"Alright," the cousin answered good-naturedly. "So that was your Doctor?"

"Yes, that's him," Jackie cut in. "Go say hello to Bella, luv, and then we'll go get your dress fitted." She took the tea from her daughter. "And see what that bloke of yours is up to."

Rose didn't even bother to protest that the Doctor wasn't actually her bloke, and allowed her mother to propel her towards Bella's bedroom.

The door was slightly ajar, so she knocked lightly and stepped in. "Hi, Bella."

Her cousin looked up from her magazine. "Hi, Rose," she nodded. Bella was a tall, willowy girl, older than any of the other cousins by five years. She was serious and bookish and worked at the BBC, and Rose vaguely recalled that her husband-to-be was some sort of under-secretary or something in the government. "How've you been?"

"Oh, y'know." Rose sat down on the edge of the bed. "How's things going? Everything under control?"

"Well, I think so," Bella admitted cautiously. "Flowers, cake, food, dress…" She grimaced. "I'm forgetting something."

"Fiancé?" Rose queried.

"Out with his parents," Bella explained. "He'll be back after lunch." She sighed. "Mum's panicking," she said. "She and Auntie Bridget and Auntie Jackie…"

"They're awful, all together," Rose agreed. "So, you having a night out before the wedding?"

"Of course! You're coming, right?"

"Sure," Rose nodded. "Wouldn't miss this for all the world. One of us lot getting married! It's hard to believe."

"Yeah, well, we're all expecting wedding bells for you next," Bella warned with a grin. "Where's this Doctor of yours?"

Rose groaned. "For the last time, he's not 'mine'," she said. "And I think he got dragged off by the kids."

"Rose! Bella! We've got to go for the fittings!"

Rose and Bella exchanged smiles. "Coming, Auntie Bridget," they chorused together, standing up and leaving the bedroom.

"I'll just go check on the Doctor," Rose told her aunt, pushing her way down the hall towards the bedroom of Bella's twin siblings, Sandra and Mark. She was fairly sure the kids were there, judging from the screams.

She poked her head around the doorframe. "Doctor?"

"Rose!" The pile of children on the floor seemed to erupt, and the Doctor emerged from them. "Hi! Help!"

Rose hid a grin. "Sorry, I'm being taken out," she said. "You look like you're doing alright."

"He's fun!" declared Tommy, Bridget's eight-year-old son. "Can we take him to the park?"

"Maybe later," Jackie said with authority from behind Rose. "You keep out of trouble." She ordered the Doctor. "Come on, Rose."

Rose grinned at the sight of Tommy and Anna tugging on the Doctor's arms, and left.

* * *

Rose grabbed Izzy's sleeve in horror. "Please. Please say that's not my dress." 

Izzy smirked. "That's not your dress." She waited a beat. "I'm lying, of course."

Rose stared in dismay, the chatter of her mum and Bridget fading into the background. Oh god. Why did she persuade the Doctor to bring her here? Why did Bella have to get married at all? Why hadn't the earth opened up and swallowed her whole? It had before, so why not now?

"So?" Bella was radiant. "What d'you think? We got the size right, I think – you'll have to try it on, of course."

Silently Rose wondered how – with her education, posh job, and fantastic taste – Bella had managed to choose this monstrosity for her bridesmaid dresses.

"It's great," she managed. "It's really…great." There was simply nothing else she could say.

She was going to catch hell from the Doctor, when he saw her in this.

"I'd better go try it on, then," she said with false bravado. "Changing room?"

"Over there," Izzy pointed. "I'll come with you. It'll probably be our only chance to catch up! What with all the wedding stuff, we won't get a chance later."

Rose slipped into the changing room and drew the curtain. She stared at the dress again. How could she possibly –

She would wear this, because it was Bella's wedding, and because her mother wanted her to. After everything she'd put her mum through, she could at least do this small thing…

Couldn't she?

"I know," Izzy confirmed in a low voice. "It's awful. I don't know how Bella came up with it, but what can we do?"

"Nothing," Rose said glumly. "I bet Mum fixed this whole thing, just to get back at me for that year."

"Can you blame her?" Izzy's voice was full of curiosity. "Have you even told her where you were yet?"

Rose sighed, pulling off her clothes. "No. I was travelling. I told you at Christmas."

"Yeah, yeah. So how was Egypt?"

"Hot." Rose didn't tell her cousin that it had also been several thousand years ago. Meeting Cleopatra had been an experience she wasn't likely to forget in a hurry. She looked in the full-length mirror. "Oh god. I look – "

There were no words.

"Rose? How's it coming?" Bella called anxiously. "Come out, let me have a look."

Rose took a deep breath and stepped out of the changing room.

"You look lovely," Bridget gushed. "Doesn't she look a treat, Jackie?"

Jackie nodded, not finding any words. She so rarely saw her daughter anymore…and Rose looked so grownup.

"It's a perfect fit," Izzy offered, trying not to smile. "Bella?"

"It's perfect," the bride-to-be declared. "Just perfect. I'm so glad you made it back, Rose. Now get it off, and we can go get a cuppa."

Rose retreated into the changing room and stripped as quickly as she possibly could, pulling her jeans and shirt on with relief. The dress was the worst thing she had ever worn – even including the bright orange body stocking she'd had to wear on Zinea, when the Doctor hadn't been able to keep his eyes off her breasts for more than two minutes at a time.

"This is so not good," she muttered. Maybe she could get the Doctor to send the dress into a Dalek stronghold…

"Rose? C'mon, let's get going!"

Rose exited the changing room again, the dress draped over her arm. "Alright," she smiled. "Where we going, then?"

"Costa," Izzy said instantly. "I refuse to go into Starbucks, Mum, I simply refuse."

Bridget barely looked put out. "We'll go to the café next door," she ruled.

"My treat," Jackie nodded, smiling at Rose.

"I'll call the kids," Bridget decided as they left the bridal shop. "We can meet them at the park, they could do with a bit of fresh air. Sandy and Josh can bring them down."

"Josh won't," Izzy snorted. "He's turned into a right bastard," she told Rose. "And his girlfriend's a slut."

"Isobel," Bridget scolded. "Don't talk about your brother like that." She pulled her phone out of her handbag and dialled Julie's number. "Hi, Sandy. Everything going okay?…That's good. Listen, I want you and Josh to bring the kids down the park…No, Anna can stay behind, I don't want that cold getting any worse…Oh, alright." She held the phone out to Rose as they sat down in the café. "That Doctor bloke wants a word."

"Hi," Rose said, grinning. "You doing alright?"

"_Alright? They're bloody murderous!"_

"No swearing in front of the kids," Rose scolded good-naturedly. "What's the matter, too domestic for you?"

"_Way too domestic. I don't do family."_

"Sure. You coming down the park, then?" She held up a finger to indicate that she wanted one sugar in her tea.

_"I may not have much of a choice. Your grandfather's looking at me as though he wants to eat me."_

She laughed. "You idiot. Come to the park, I'll buy you an ice cream."

_"I'll hold you to that. Here's Wendy again."_

"It's Sandy," Rose corrected before handing the phone back to her aunt. Jackie raised an eyebrow at her. "He likes winding people up," she explained. "Remember, he used to do it with Mickey."

"He was jealous of Mickey," Jackie told her astutely. "And don't think it was anything else." She sipped her tea and turned to Julie, who was putting her phone away. "So they coming?"

"Yeah. All the kids but Anna, and the Doctor." Julie shot a look at Rose. "Funny, him not giving us any other name."

Rose looked at Bella, intent on ignoring Julie. "So, Bella, are you guys going anywhere nice for a honeymoon?"

Bella nodded over her coffee. "We've rented a cottage in Ireland for two weeks. It's all we can take off from work, but it'll be good. I'll show you the website later, if you want."

"Sure," Rose agreed.

"I've heard enough about this wedding to last a lifetime," Izzy complained. "You're a great cousin, Bella, but let's talk about something else – like where Rose has been. It can't just have been Egypt."

Rose could feel her mother's eyes on her, and she fought a blush. "Oh, all over, really." All over the place, all over time. But she wasn't going to be saying _that_ to her cousin any time soon. She drank her tea quickly. "We'd better go, the kids'll be at the park already."

"Alright, keep your secrets," Izzy sighed dramatically. They left the café and started to walk leisurely to the park, a few streets over. "But I'm telling you, if he's not yours, someone else'll grab him soon enough, and then you'll be stuffed."

"Never happen," Rose murmured in reply as the park loomed ahead of them. The kids were already there, supervised by Sandy, Josh and Tim. The Doctor was there too, trying to disentangle himself from Tommy, who seemed to have taken an extreme liking to him.

"Rose!" he said, catching sight of her. "Help!"

Rose stifled a laugh. "You're doing alright, Doctor." She waved at Tommy. "Hey, Tommy. How's school?"

Tommy, hanging from the Doctor's arm, made a face. "Boring," he declared. "But we play footy at break, and I've scored six goals!"

"Brilliant," Rose enthused. "Do me a favour? Go bother your sister Izzy for a while?" Tommy looked hesitantly from the Doctor to Izzy, who was chatting with Sandy, and decided that his sister was a better target. He let go and raced off.

"Thank you," the Doctor said fervently, brushing himself off. "I don't do kids."

"You're doing pretty well," she told him with a smile. "I do appreciate it." She waited a beat. "Besides, this is just payback."

He stared. "What for?"

"For the purple lake, of course." She linked her arm with his. "It took me three days to wash that stuff off."

Andy, Uncle Jeff's youngest son, came bounding over. "Hi Rose! Will you come on the seesaw with me?" He looked up at the Doctor. "Can I wear your coat? Will you play 'it' with me?"

It was with great amusement that Rose watched the Doctor hand over his prized leather jacket to the young boy, and then chase the boy – and other young children – around the park. He rarely won.

Didn't do family? She shook her head. Maybe not, but he was pretty good at it nonetheless.

* * *

Rose smiled at Stephen. "Hi," she greeted. "Nice to meet you." 

"You too," Bella's fiancé nodded. "I've heard a lot of interesting things about you."

"All true," Rose declared, flopping onto the couch. "Probably." The Doctor moved to stand next to the couch, letting her shield him from the younger cousins. "God, I'm knackered."

"You weren't the one chasing a bunch of kids around," the Doctor muttered.

Stephen grinned. "They're a handful," he agreed. "The twins usually follow me around."

"We do not!" Sandra said indignantly from Stephen's feet.

"We just like you," Mark finished, popping up from behind his future brother-in-law. "C'mon, Stephen, we want to play on the PS2 with you." Stephen departed with a long-suffering sigh.

"Domestic," the Doctor muttered. "How many more days do we have to be here?"

"You hush, son." Grandpa Mark shuffled across the sitting room and into the armchair next to the couch. "This is a good family." He presented his cheek to Rose, and she leaned over to kiss him.

"Hello, Grandpa," she greeted. "How's Grandma?"

"You'd know if you were home more often," he said pointedly. "Your mother wants you." Rose looked uncertainly at the Doctor, who looked just a little worried. "I'll keep him safe," Grandpa Mark said with a chuckle.

"Alright," Rose murmured, getting up. "You be good." She wasn't entirely certain which of them she was addressing, and shot backwards glances at them before leaving.

"You going to sit down?" Mark asked after a moment. Folding his arms, the Doctor took Rose's vacated place. "You got a name, then?"

"Just the Doctor," the alien said guardedly. He tried to think of something to say that wouldn't start a fight. He hit upon something with at least a grain of truth. "Rose's talked about you."

Mark snorted. "That girl doesn't talk about her family, she tries to get away from us." He seemed pleased nonetheless. "What's she said? That I'm a grumpy old tyrant?"

"She told me you used to give her sweets when her mum wasn't looking," the Doctor offered.

"Hmph." Mark looked him over. "So, Doctor, what are you planning on doing?"

The Doctor blinked. "'Scuse me?"

"With Rose," Mark said impatiently. "S'not a situation any of us like, you realise. You whisking her off for eleven months out of the year."

The Doctor tilted his head slightly. "It's her decision," he said quietly. "She chooses whether to come with me or stay here. I'm not taking her against her will."

Mark shook his head. "Of course not," he said with irritation. "I'm not stupid. Anyone with eyes can see you're crazy about each other. What I want to know is what you're planning to do about it."

The Doctor blinked several times, a slight smile playing about his mouth. "I've never met someone quite as forthright as you," he marvelled. "Not even Rose."

"She gets it from me," Mark nodded. "Stop avoiding the question, sonny."

"I'm not avoiding the question," the Doctor protested. "You've got it all wrong. Rose and me aren't like that."

"Do you want there to be?"

The Doctor sputtered. "I – you – but – there's no way I can answer that?" Mark looked smug and indicated for him to continue. "If I say no, you'll ask me why not, and if I say yes, you'll do the whole protective relative thing!"

"True," Mark agreed calmly. "Alright, we'll let that one slip. Rose is too thin, have you been feeding her properly?"

The Doctor sighed and settled in for the long haul.

* * *

The Doctor was muttering under his breath, and Rose thought it best not to interrupt him. She'd rescued him from her grandfather nearly three hours ago, and he was still not calmed down. She wondered what exactly Grandpa Mark had said to him, and then thought that she'd really rather not know. 

"Here we are," Bridget declared, parking the car. "Kids, out," she ordered. Izzy, Josh, Tommy and Anna piled out of the car. The Doctor stayed slumped in his seat for a moment. "Doctor!"

"Alright, I'm coming," he said ungraciously. Rose mouthed a sorry as she subtly guided him towards the front door.

"You're in the guest bedroom," Izzy informed them, snatching the house phone away from Josh.

"Oi!" her brother protested. "I need to call Jessie."

"You can use your bloody mobile," Izzy said calmly. "I need the phone."

Rose slipped past the two, thanking for the millionth time whatever higher being there was that she was an only child. The argument was resolved by the phone ringing and Bridget plucking it from their hands.

"I'll show you the guest bedroom," Anna said to Rose, pushing her glasses up her nose. "S'upstairs, in the loft."

"Thanks, Anna," Rose said gratefully. "Doctor, come on. No, Tommy, you stay there," she ordered as Tommy made to follow them.

Anna pointed them up the second flight of stairs, and then disappeared into her bedroom. Rose made her way up, opened the door…and gave a kind of choked gasp.

"What is it now?" the Doctor asked impatiently, and brushed her aside. He frowned. "Oh." He looked curiously at her. "Does all your family think we're having sex?"

Blushing faintly, Rose muttered something and dragged the bags into the room. "There's nothing we can do about it tonight," she said after a moment. "I'm tired, let's just not make a fuss, alright?"

The Doctor took a good look at her for perhaps the first time all day. "You alright?" he asked softly.

"It's just…" Rose shrugged. "The whole family together, s'hard to deal with sometimes." She shook her head. "And that bridesmaid's dress…"

"Awful?" He pulled his shoes off and stretched out on the bed.

"Worse," she confided with a sigh. "I mean, even worse than that orange body stocking." He grinned, and she pointed at him. "Don't you start, either," she warned. "Go have a shower, you've got grass in your hair," she added softly after a moment.

"Do not." He ran a hand through his hair and looked rather surprised when blades of grass fell out. "Oh. Uh. Right then." He got off the bed and went into the adjacent bathroom.

Rose rolled her eyes at his idiocy and made sure the bathroom door was firmly closed before she changed into her pyjamas. He could be such a silly git at times. She had to admit that she'd grown used to his idiosyncrasies, however, and she _was_ very grateful that he was putting up with her family for a whole week. Even she had trouble doing that, and the Doctor was so adamant that he didn't do family.

She yawned and stretched out on the bed. She'd do her teeth when the Doctor had finished his shower. It really had been a tiring day – fending off questions from everybody about where she'd been, what she'd been doing, and about the Doctor. She'd just close her eyes for a minute…

She jerked awake when the Doctor touched her shoulder. She wasn't sure how long she'd been asleep.

"What is it?" she asked blearily.

"You're shivering," he said softly. "Get under the covers, Rose."

"Mm…got to brush m'teeth…"

"You'll survive," he said dryly. "Get under the bloody covers before you freeze to death." He tugged the blanket from beneath her, and she crawled underneath, closing her eyes again once she'd found the pillow. She muttered something that might have been a question, and reached out a hand towards him. "It's alright," he reassured her, knowing her propensity for nightmares. "Go to sleep."

* * *

Please review! 

Day Two coming…sometime next week. I've got a busy weekend, so won't get too much writing done, but it'll be up definitely before next Friday, if not before.


	3. Day Two

Title: Domestic Battleground

Rating: T – not suitable for younger children, because I have a dirty mind.

Summary: The Doctor promised Jackie he'd take Rose back for special occasions. But a whole week with her family? Will he survive, and more importantly, will Rose?

Notes: Day Two. Shopping and arguments.

* * *

Day Two

* * *

Trying desperately not to wake up, Rose pressed closer against the warmth. It wasn't morning yet, she sleepily reasoned to herself. And it was nice here…thum-thump-thum-thump… 

She opened her eyes quickly. She hadn't…she couldn't have…

She had. Somehow in the night, she and the Doctor had ended up curled around each other. His arm was flung around her waist, her head was on his chest, his face buried in her hair. Her feet were tangled up with his, and they were holding hands.

Now how, she wondered silently, had that happened? And more importantly, how the hell was she going to get out of this bed without waking him up?

Wasn't going to happen, she realised a moment after trying to extricate her legs. He muttered something – she thought it was Gallifreyan – and lifted his head away from hers.

"Morning," she murmured nervously. "Uh, sleep well?"

He looked at her blearily for a moment. "I don't dream very often," he said finally. "Last night your grandpa was rampaging through my subconscious wielding a pitch fork."

Rose grinned and pulled away from him. "He's not that bad," she said. "You promised you'd be good."

"I am being good," he protested. "I'm the one with my virtue being compromised with your cuddling."

Rose raised an eyebrow at him. "Oh, yeah? Says the old alien with practically a girl on every planet we visit?"

"I'm not old," he sulked. "And I don't have a girl on every planet, neither." She looked at him, a look she'd perfected over the past months. It was a perfect mix of smug knowledge and supreme patience. He squirmed, and she grinned in triumph and rolled out of the bed.

"I'm going to have a shower," she said, stretching and yawning.

"Don't be too long," the Doctor advised. She glanced at him questioningly, and smiled again at the sight of him lounging in the bed. It was a thoroughly domestic scene. "I don't even want to think about facing that zoo without you," he continued.

"Alright, scaredy-cat," she agreed mildly. "Just remember to make nice to Auntie Bridget; she does a great chocolate brownie."

He sat up. "Really?"

"Chocolate slut," she teased, and closed the bathroom door behind her. She took several deep breaths. How the hell had she ended up curled around him like that? She'd never done it with Jimmy Stones or Mickey – she wasn't a cuddly person. She just wasn't.

But the Doctor was different, she admitted reluctantly to herself as she stripped and stepped under the shower. The Doctor was very different.

She showered quickly, trying to avoid paying much attention to the vibrant orange tiles in the bathroom, and wrapped a towel around herself before realising that she hadn't brought clothes in with her.

"Oh shit," she muttered. "Bloody stupid idiot, Rose. Well done."

"Rose? You alright?"

Rose swore again under her breath. "I forgot to bring clothes through," she admitted. "You…look out the window and close your eyes."

"You what?"

Rose rolled her eyes. "You heard me, you idiot. Do it." After a moment she opened the door and peered around. The Doctor was standing at the window, and Rose kept an eye on him while she grabbed her bag.

"So, what's the plan for today?" he asked conversationally, not turning.

"Ask me after I'm dressed," Rose muttered, slamming the bathroom door. It was probably, she realised, going to be one of those days.

Breakfast was the mixture of chaos and lunacy that made Bridget's family so well remembered. Josh spent most of it with his mobile in his hand, texting his girlfriend. Anna's almost-cold had developed into a fully-blown cold – Rose had no idea how, since it was the middle of July – and Tommy spent the whole meal watching the Doctor load his corn flakes with sugar. Izzy was the only mildly sane one, and that was only because she was half asleep until she'd had a cup of tea.

Once she'd woken up a bit, she asked Rose what she was planning to do today.

"No idea," Rose shrugged. "Depends on if Bella needs me to do anything, or the aunts." The Doctor mumbled something through his corn flakes, and she shot him a glare before looking over at Bridget. "You need me to do anything, Auntie?"

Bridget looked up from buttering a slice of toast. "Oh, you're a dear," she said affectionately. "I don't think there's – actually, hang on." She eyed Anna speculatively. "You and Mandy have to get matching jewellery," she commented. "And Rose needs some to match Izzy, you could help her."

"I could go," Izzy offered.

"No," Bridget ruled. "You've got work."

"It's only house sitting," Tommy said, finally tearing his attention from the Doctor. "S'not a real job."

"It's real money," Izzy snapped. "So you shut up." She accepted her fate, however.

"You…want me to take Anna and Mandy shopping?" Rose said doubtfully. "Together?" Anna and Mandy had a long-running enmity that was famous throughout the family.

"Yes," Bridget nodded. "It'd be an awful help."

Rose managed a smile. "Sure. The Doctor and I can pick up Mandy, then take them into town."

The Doctor looked up suddenly. "The Doctor will not," he said with conviction. "The Doctor has other plans."

Bridget regarded him for a moment. "The alternative," she began, "is taking Tommy shoe shopping. They've got to go out regardless, and if you and Rose take the girls off my hands, I can bake chocolate brownies."

The Doctor wavered. Rose wasn't sure whether it was the brownies that did it, or the threat of looking after Tommy. "I'll go with Rose," he said finally. "D'you put nuts in?"

Bridget winked at Rose. "Walnuts," she nodded. "Izzy, call Julie, tell her Rose'll be round to take Mandy. Should Michelle go too?"

"No," Izzy said quickly, seeing the look on Rose's face. "Michelle has jewellery – besides, she's out with her friends today, don't you remember Auntie Julie saying?"

"Oh yes," Bridget nodded. "Tommy, finish your toast. And Doctor, stop playing with your cereal."

The Doctor blinked several times, and then obeyed. Rose stared.

* * *

Rose scowled. They'd only been out half an hour, and Anna and Mandy had already had three arguments. The first had been about which bus to catch, the second about which of them would sit next to the window when on the bus, and the third was currently raging. 

"I won't be seen dead in Claire's," Anna said obstinately.

"Well, I won't go into Accessorize," Mandy snapped. "So stuff it."

"Mandy," Rose said warningly. "Anna. You two stop it, or you won't get lunch." She glanced at the Doctor, who was sulking, and sighed. "Look, girls, let's just get this over with, yeah?"

"I won't go in there," Mandy protested, glaring at Rose. "And you can't make me!"

"Oi!" The Doctor turned on his heel to look at the pre-teens. "You do what Rose says, alright? You go into whatever shop she picks."

Anna sneezed, and Rose grimaced. "Into Claire's," she said. "S'closer." She let the girls walk ahead and touched the Doctor's arm. "Thanks," she said quietly. "I know this isn't what you'd like to be doing."

"S'okay," he said, eyes on her cousins. "This is important to you." They stopped outside the shop. "I'll just…go and get an ice cream or something," he said quickly. "I'll…be outside."

Rose smothered a laugh and entered the shop. Perhaps she was just imagining it, but had it all got a lot pinker in here?

Mandy was closely inspecting a row of necklaces. Anna was trying not to look interested in the sale racks. Rose fished the list out of her pocket.

"Hair bands," she murmured, squeezing past two stick-thin teens to reach the rows of hair ties, clips, scrunchies and bands. Bridget had specified the colour – and Rose was hardly likely to forget those dresses. But despite the range of colours, Rose didn't think she could see…

"Rose, can I have this?" Anna appeared beside Rose, holding out a plastic ring.

"Maybe," Rose said distractedly. "Help me find these hair ties?" She looked at the list again. "Matching earrings. You stay here and look, Mandy and I will look at earrings."

It took half an hour for Rose to get the girls to compromise on hair ties, earrings and necklaces. She then told them to pick out something special each while she tried to find accessories for herself. Finally they paid, and it was with relief that Rose ushered them out of the shop and looked around for the Doctor.

"You done?" he demanded, popping up behind her. "Good, I'm bored."

A bored Time Lord was a dangerous thing, and Rose glanced at her watch. "What d'you want to do?" she asked. "Mandy, stay close."

The Doctor gave a crooked smile. "Nothing we can do with Tweedledum and Tweedledee," he said. "I hope you know I'm only doing this for you." He grabbed the back of Anna's T-shirt and pulled her out of the way of a cyclist. "Be careful," he admonished her.

"Sorry," Anna mumbled, sneezing. "Rose, I'm hungry."

"You only had breakfast two hours ago!" Rose exclaimed. "We'll have lunch in an hour or so, alright? Let's just…" She looked around for some idea of how to keep the girls busy. She spotted her salvation down the road. "Look over there," she nodded. "On the park."

Mandy and Anna exclaimed identical looks of glee. "Funfair!"

"Can we go?"

"Will you come on the rides with us?"

"Can I go on the dodgems with the Doctor?"

The Doctor complained as they walked down the road, the noise from the funfair increasing as they got closer. "I ask you, what happened to the days when a fair only opened in the evenings? And did I sign up for any of this family business? No. In fact, I specifically recall saying that I don't do domestic, and that I wouldn't let you domesticate me. Why d'you think I wouldn't hang around for tea with your mum last year?"

Rose rolled her eyes. "I know. I know. I do appreciate it." She raised her voice slightly. "Mandy! Anna!" The two paused at the park entrance. "Here's five quid," Rose began, holding up two notes. "You go on rides together or not at all. Me and the Doctor'll be…at this bench here. You check in after every two rides. Got it?" The girls nodded, and Rose handed over the cash. "Be careful," she ordered.

Anna and Mandy disappeared into the crowd, already arguing over with ride to go on first. Rose turned to the Doctor and frowned at his expression of awe.

"What?" she questioned.

"You were fantastic," he marvelled. "You're a regular mum, you are." He took her hand and they made their way over to the bench. "Look, I don't like this stuff, and we both know it."

"But?"

"But…you asked me to come."

They looked at each other. A whole conversation seemed to pass between them. He squeezed her hand and let it go, not taking her eyes from hers. She gave a hint of a smile, then looked out at the crowds.

"I used to love funfairs," she admitted. "Dad used to take me. Every time there was one near us. He took me to Blackpool once, and other places like that." She gave a wistful smile. "He was going to take me to Disneyland for my tenth birthday."

"So what changed?" the Doctor asked quietly.

"He died." Rose shoved her hands into her jacket pocket. "Cancer. Wasn't like we didn't know it was coming. But I…" She shook her head. "It was hard. I was only nine."

He touched her shoulder gently to show his support. She tilted her head, touched the back of his hand with her cheek.

"After that, I didn't really like funfairs much," she went on. "It all just seemed pointless, without him. Y'know?"

"Yeah," he said sombrely. "I know."

Anna and Mandy broke out of the crowds and approached them.

"Can we go on the dodgems?" Mandy asked. "All of us together?" Rose looked questioningly at the Doctor.

"Why not," he shrugged. "C'mon, kids."

* * *

They had lunch at MacDonald's, despite the Doctor's protests that it was a corporate chain that wanted to take over the earth. Anna and Mandy were both very well behaved after the dodgems, when Rose and the Doctor had chased them around and bumped into them extremely hard. 

The trouble started when they returned to Julie's flat to drop off Mandy. Later Rose was unable to say exactly what sparked it off, but she thought it might have something to do with the argument that was raging when they arrived.

Uncle Jeff had apparently made some sort of comment about the bizarre events of the year before, when Downing Street had been blown up. Tim, a UFO nut, had responded that the events had been real and the tabloids had been stupid to call it a hoax. By the time Rose and the Doctor had come in, the discussion had devolved into an argument that the Doctor just had to join in.

"Why do you even care if it was real or not?" he wanted to know. "S'not like it affects any of you."

"But it does!" Tim exclaimed. "It changes everything – if aliens are real, if there's life on other planets, it affects everyone. People might stop fighting each other, start exploring what's out there!"

"No, people would start fighting even more to be the first out there," the Doctor corrected. "Like in the space race. You'd all be squabbling about who gets to make first contact, who gets the rights to trade, who gets the rights to all sorts of different minerals and things. It'd be a disaster."

"Doctor," Rose said quietly. "Is this really a good idea?"

"It doesn't matter," Jeff put in, "because aliens aren't real. It's all fake. You saw the papers last year, that so-called alien that crash-landed was just a pig."

"Not exactly," Jackie muttered as she passed the argument. She rolled her eyes at Rose, who gave a grin.

"Yes, exactly," Jeff protested.

"No, not exactly," Tim said. "You read what that doctor said – the one that did the autopsy. There's no technology on earth that could create…whatever it was. And what about those shop dummies? If that wasn't alien, I don't know what is."

"Your underpants?" Rose suggested. "Look, let's drop it, alright?" She didn't like the look in the Doctor's eyes.

"No," Tim said sharply. "There's real proof that aliens exist, Rose, and you shouldn't just brush it off. I mean, you've been to some of the places where aliens have been sighted – you went to Roswell last year, you've been to Egypt and Scotland."

"Yeah, but –"

"It's real, I tell you," her cousin said obstinately.

"And what would you do if you were confronted by an alien?" the Doctor demanded. "Do the Vulcan salute?" He shook his head. "Humans aren't ready."

Rose folded her arms, taking offence. "Oh, really?"

"Yes," he said. "Really."

"No human on earth at this point in time is ready to come face to face with aliens – little grey ones or big green ones, or ones without bodies, or robotic ones, or living plants, or anything like that?" Rose raised her eyebrows.

"I didn't know you watched sci-fi," Jeff muttered snidely.

"No," the Doctor shook his head again. "That's not what I said."

"Sounded like it to me," Tim commented. "And who are you to judge? Just because you're shagging my cousin doesn't make you some sort of superior being."

"Oh, bloody hell," the Doctor cried, exasperated. "For the last time, I am not sleeping with Rose. I have never slept with Rose. I am not at this current time _planning_ on sleeping with Rose. Is that quite clear to everyone?"

Silence reigned in the flat.

Rose swallowed, trying to dislodge the lump that had suddenly appeared in her throat. "Right," she muttered. "Now that you've embarrassed me in front of practically my whole family, let's get back to the point. Which is that you don't think that anyone – me, for example – could handle meeting aliens."

"Look, I didn't mean –" the Doctor tried. "It's not – " He threw his hands up in frustration. "You can be such a flaky little human!"

"And you can be an arrogant, condescending prick!" Rose retorted. "Answer the bloody question!"

"No," he snapped. "I don't think you could handle meeting everything that's out there. I think you'd be scared out of your pathetic human wits!"

"Then why the hell am I even bothering?"

Her words cut deeply into them both, and they stared at each other for a moment before Rose bolted, slamming the front door behind her.

* * *

Rose sat on a swing in a park somewhere near to Bridget's house. She'd been here for hours. After the argument, she'd left Julie's flat and gone back to Bridget's house – but Izzy was in there, and Rose really didn't feel like talking. 

Their angry words echoed in her mind.

_Humans aren't ready._

_I am not at this current time planning on sleeping with Rose._

_You don't think that anyone – me, for example – could handle meeting aliens._

_You can be such a flaky little human!_

_And you can be an arrogant, condescending prick!_

_I think you'd be scared out of your pathetic human wits!_

_Then why the hell am I even bothering?_

She choked back a sob. She hadn't meant it – hadn't meant any of it. She didn't know if he had meant what he had said, but knowing him as she did, he had meant every single word.

She started swinging again. It didn't matter. Two years, relative time, that was pretty good going to be travelling around the universe. She'd had a good run, compared to some of the other companions he'd told her about.

That had been a conversation and a half. He'd been uncomfortable talking about it, she remembered, afraid that she'd take offence. She hadn't – she understood loneliness. And she was different – she knew it, he knew it, and she knew that he knew it. Why else would he be putting up with her family?

If he was even still here. She fingered the TARDIS key that hung around her neck. After that argument, she wouldn't really blame him if he'd decided to leave without her. She could always get a job. Do her A-levels. Be normal.

Only she didn't want to be normal – she couldn't be normal, not now, not after everything she'd seen. The end of the world, the end of other worlds, exploding stars and nebulas that spun the TARDIS out to the furthest reaches of the galaxy. She'd seen aliens of all shapes and sizes.

She'd seen the Daleks.

The memory made her shudder. She wouldn't be forgetting that adventure, no matter how old she lived to be.

She stopped swinging her legs, and the swing came to a gradual stop. She didn't really know why she'd been so angry. The whole conversation had been doomed from the moment the Doctor joined in. From the moment Jeff and Tim had started, actually. Uncle Jeff could be a prejudiced old bastard when he wanted to be, and Tim – well, Tim was nothing if not Grandpa Mark's eldest grandson.

Bloody hell. She started swinging again. Why did these sort of things always have to happen to her?

She glanced at her watch and swore. It was nearly nine o'clock. That meant she'd been out here…six hours?

Maybe travelling with a Time Lord changed your sense of time, Rose mused, turning her phone on. It hadn't seemed that long.

Thirteen missed calls. Mum, mum, mum…six calls from Jackie's mobile, two from Julie's house phone. One from Bridget's house, one from her mobile.

And three from the TARDIS.

With trepidation, she tried to call him.

No answer. That meant that he was either ignoring her or not in the TARDIS. Given the fact that he'd tried to call her, she was banking on it being the second one. So where might he be?

She slowly made her way back to Bridget's house. There would be questions, she knew, but not from the Doctor, if he was there. He understood her in a way none of her family or friends ever had – or ever could, now. He was the only one who knew what it was like to see the end of your world, to watch a girl die in front of you, to survive World War One, to stare your greatest enemy in the face and spit on them.

"Please be there," she muttered fervently as she walked up to the front door and rang the bell. "Please, please…"

Izzy answered, and flung her arms about her cousin. "We were so worried!" she exclaimed. "Where have you been?"

"Out," Rose muttered, detangling herself from the younger girl and entering the house. Bridget stood in the kitchen doorway, eyebrow raised. "I'm sorry," Rose offered.

"Jackie was worried," Bridget said. "I'll give her a ring." She disappeared into the kitchen for a moment then returned with a tray. There was a plate of brownies and two glasses of milk. "Upstairs, Rose," she advised. "He's been kicking himself all afternoon, the idiot."

On impulse, Rose leaned over the tray to kiss her aunt. "Thanks, Auntie," she whispered. She took the tray and started up the stairs.

He was asleep when she reached the bedroom – one arm covering his face, the other flung out across the bed. He looked as though he'd just fallen over.

Rose put the tray on the table and went to touch his shoulder. Waking the Doctor was never a good idea, but for brownies and milk…

He opened his eyes the moment her fingers brushed his jacket. "Rose!"

She gave a half smile. "Hi."

"Where've you been?" he demanded, sitting up and flinging his arms around her. "I was worried – your phone was off – couldn't find you bloody anywhere!"

"I'm alright," Rose muttered, embarrassed. "S'not like anything's going to happen here, is it? S'only London." She pulled away. "I…brought up brownies."

"Look – Rose – I'm sorry about what I said."

Rose stared. It was the most blunt apology he had ever given her. He very rarely said sorry at all, let alone in so many words. She really had worried him, she realised.

"S'okay," she said slowly. "We both said things we didn't mean." She shrugged one shoulder. "You're not arrogant and condescending…most of the time. And it is worth it."

He smiled tentatively. "And you're not the same as everyone else. You can deal with it all better than loads of people." He paused. "Though I stand by what I said about everyone else."

She nodded. "Alright," she agreed. "That's fair enough." She grabbed a brownie and one of the glasses of milk. "So what did you do all afternoon?"

The Doctor fidgeted and reached for a brownie. "Well. I, uh…"

Rose blinked. "You looked for me all afternoon? For…seven hours?"

"Not quite," he defended himself. "Your crazy aunt Bridget dragged me back here about an hour ago." He shrugged. "Must've fallen asleep."

"Yeah," she agreed, trying not to smile. "You've got chocolate round your mouth, Doctor." He wiped his mouth, still watching her. "I was worried you'd leave," she admitted in a rush.

He shook his head. "No."

"But I – "

"No, Rose." His voice was gentle. "I'm not going to leave you until you tell me to. You're stuck with me."

A smile curled her mouth upwards, and she finished off her milk. "Oh. Alright then." She sat on the bed, curling her feet under her. "That's good."

"Yeah," he agreed softly. "That's good."

* * *

Yeah, so I somehow managed to write much faster than I thought I would be able to...Day Three will hopefully be up within a couple of days, at the rate I'm going. No promises, though.

Please review?


	4. Day Three

Title: Domestic Battleground

Rating: T – not suitable for younger children, because I have a dirty mind.

Summary: The Doctor promised Jackie he'd take Rose back for special occasions. But a whole week with her family? Will he survive, and more importantly, will Rose?

Notes: Day Three. Dress, movie and worry.

Dedication: My brother, because he's actually reading the 'Iliad' right now. Go Ed!

* * *

Day Three

* * *

Rose had been hoping to avoid this. She'd wanted to just wear the dress on the day, to minimise the amount of teasing she'd be getting from the Doctor. 

It was not to be. Bridget had hung the dress on the inside of the door while they had been sleeping, and Rose was woken to the sound of the Doctor laughing.

She threw her pillow in his general direction and pulled the blankets over her head. It was way too early to be awake, she was positive. He could just shut up.

Only he didn't. He kept laughing, and after a minute Rose sat up and glared at him.

"What is it?" she demanded. Then she saw the dress and gave a whimper. "Oh god."

"Oh god, alright," he agreed gleefully. "That has to be the worst thing I've ever seen." He paused. "Well, except –"

"Alright," she interrupted crossly. "Did you have to wake me up?" She took a good look at him and raised her eyebrows. "You could have got dressed first," she added.

The Doctor looked down at himself. "You've seen me in less," he excused. "Besides, this was too funny! You've actually got to wear this!"

"Yes," she muttered. "Go get dressed before that towel falls off." She pulled the blankets over her head again and muffled a giggle. Yes, she'd seen him in less than a towel – several times he'd actually conceded to wearing local dress, and Ancient Egypt had been one of those times. Loincloths, in Rose's opinion, were highly suitable for certain Time Lords. But she'd never seen him wet and half-naked. In Shireen's words, yummy.

There was a knock at the door, and a moment later Izzy had poked her head around the door. "Morning," she greeted cheerily. "Mum wanted to know if you'll be down in time for breakfast, 'cos she'll save bacon if you are." She looked around. "Where's the Doctor, then?"

The Doctor chose that moment to walk out of the bathroom wearing only his trousers. "Rose, you seen my jumper?" he demanded, barely glancing at Izzy.

"No," Rose managed in a strangled voice. "We'll be down in a minute, Izzy."

Izzy, mouth wide open, nodded and disappeared. Rose grabbed the Doctor's pillow and flung it at him.

"You are such an idiot," she said on his look. "You have no clue." She'd never hear the end of it from Izzy and Bella now – especially after what the Doctor had said yesterday during their argument.

She shivered involuntarily. He'd said that he had no plans…

Not that it mattered, she told herself decisively. He was the Doctor, and she was his companion, and there was no room for anything else.

Even if she wanted it, she concluded, idly watching him finish dressing.

An hour later, they were comfortably ensconced on the couch in the sitting room. Arranged around them on various chairs, beanbags and cushions were Michelle, Sandra, Mark, Andy, Mandy, Tommy and Anna. Rose was under instructions to not let the kids out of the room except for bathroom breaks, so she'd put a movie on.

The Doctor was fascinated by 'Shrek 2'. He swore he'd met a cat just like Puss in Boots, and that he'd been bleeding profusely at the end of their encounter. Rose retorted that it didn't matter to her, because Puss was adorable and Antonio Banderes was hot.

"I like this version of Pinocchio much better than the Disney one," Michelle observed during the scene where the wooden boy was handing Mission Impossible style. "He's fun."

"He's gay," Sandra added. "Like my teacher."

"He's just gender-confused," Rose put in. "Shut up, it's nearly the best bit."

The boys threw pillows at the girls when they sang along with the Fairy Godmother. When the song was over, Rose collapsed back on the couch, leaning in to the Doctor.

"That's what a hero should be like," she said decidedly. "White horse, sword swinging."

"Cool song in the background," Michelle added.

"Would a blue police box do?"

Rose blinked, not entirely sure if he'd actually said that. She glanced up at him, but he appeared absorbed by the transformation of King Harold into a frog.

"I like Donkey better than Puss," Andy declared. "He's more funny."

"But Puss is sweet," Anna objected. "Donkey's just a donkey." She threw a kernel of popcorn at her cousin. "What's he got that so special?"

"He's funny," Mark said firmly.

"He's annoying," Michelle put in. "He's like a little kid – 'are we there yet, are we there yet'. It's stupid."

"But that's the whole point," the Doctor said, taking some popcorn from the bowl in Rose's lap and flicking a kernel at Mark. "He's your inner child."

"He's a pain," Michelle disagreed. "Rose?"

"He's annoying sometimes," Rose allowed. "But Eddie Murphy annoys me, so." She threw some popcorn at the Doctor.

"This means war," he warned. "Boys?"

Rose shrieked as without warning the Doctor dislodged her and pushed a handful of popcorn at her hair. "Hey!"

The sitting room became a battlefield between the boys and the girls, as popcorn was thrown and subsequently trampled into the carpet. Shrieks of laughter echoed through the house as the cousins plus one chased each other around with handfuls of sticky popcorn. Chairs were upset and cushions went flying.

"What is going on here?"

Time seemed to freeze, which at least two people in the room knew was scientifically impossible. The only sound was the flutter of popcorn falling to the ground. All eyes were on Bridget. Her eyes roved the room. The children waited in trepidation.

"Alright," she said finally. "All of you into the garden. Strip to your underwear and hose off. I'll get clean clothes. And then Michelle, Mandy and Anna can clean this room up. I can't believe you'd make such a mess."

Slowly the children filed past her. Bridget turned her attention to the eldest two, who had stayed put. Rose had been straddling the Doctor, shoving popcorn down his jumper. She scrambled off him now, managing to poke him in the ribs as she did so.

"Ow," he complained.

"Baby," she muttered. "Uh, sorry, Auntie Bridget."

"Sorry!" Bridget shook her head. "Well, at least you two have made up. Go shower, the pair of you. I don't know, at your age…" She left, muttering to herself. Rose looked at the Doctor.

"It was your fault," she said innocently. "You started it."

"I did not," he protested. "You threw popcorn at me."

"Well, you didn't have to shove popcorn down my top," Rose countered, squirming as she stood up. "Damn, it itches! I must have half a bowl down here…" She looked at him for a moment, then shrugged and pulled the shirt over her head.

"Rose!"

"S'not anything you've not seen before," she said, shaking popcorn out of her top and off herself. "I'm wearing a bra." She flung the top at him, grinning at the sight of him gawking. "I'm getting the shower first."

* * *

An hour later, Rose was cursing herself for doing…whatever it was that she'd done. She wasn't sure whether it was the shower, the topless bit, the domesticity, or the kids. But the Doctor had vanished. 

Not just gone-down-the-pub/shop/park/cinema vanished, either. Really and truly vanished.

Vanished as in his TARDIS key was gone. As had one of his bags.

Gone as in when Rose went to where they'd parked the TARDIS, it wasn't there.

Rose leaned against a wall and took several deep breaths. Okay. The TARDIS was gone. That didn't mean anything. It could mean something completely normal – sometimes he tinkered around on it and it took him elsewhere, but he always – _always_ – came back for her. He wouldn't leave her in a strange time and place…

But this wasn't a strange time and place. Horror filled her. He hadn't – he couldn't have left her for good? Some of his things were still at Bridget's, but nothing important, nothing he couldn't pick up anywhere.

He hadn't left anything important…except her.

She kept taking deep breaths, sliding down to sit on the concrete ground. She would not panic. She would not. He wouldn't leave her without saying anything. Some of her things were in the TARDIS – he wouldn't go with those.

He wouldn't go without saying goodbye.

A hand came to rest on her shoulder, and she looked up to see her mother. Jackie joined her on the ground, hugging Rose close.

"He's – it's gone," Rose said, her voice surprisingly steady. "He's probably just…checking something. S'always playing up, the TARDIS is. Can't…can't land anywhere right."

Can't land anywhere right. Oh god, she thought, what if he does try to come back and the TARDIS lands him five years wrong, or something? What if he didn't try to get back to her? What if he didn't care enough for that?

"Okay," Jackie said quietly. "You want to come in for a cuppa?"

"No," Rose said quickly. "No, I'm just gonna…just gonna wait here for a bit. See if he…"

"Okay," Jackie nodded. "Give us a ring if you need anything, yeah? I'll be at Julie's." She got up and started to walk away. She paused and turned back. "Rose…is there anything you want to tell me? About you and the Doctor, maybe?"

A million things sprang to mind. The Doctor taking her hand in the basement of Henrik's. Almost dying at the end of the world. Cassandra, the last human. Blue-skinned plumbers. Blue gas aliens. Charles Dickens. William Shakespeare. The Battle of Hastings. The attacks at Flanders. Besieging the Winter Palace in Russia. Saving children from earthquakes in far-off planets. Swimming with the creatures that called themselves mermaids. Running through icy caverns to escape strange aliens, fleeing for their lives.

Feeling safe anywhere the Doctor was.

Rose shook her head. "No," she said quietly. "Nothing." Jackie nodded, resigned, and left Rose to her vigil.

Rose sat on the ground for half an hour, then moved to a nearby bench. It was more comfortable there, and after a while she lay full length on it and cloud-watched. She saw a Dalek, a Tree, a duck and a crocodile before she sat up again, bored and anxious.

What if he didn't come back? No, that couldn't happen. He'd promised her – he'd said that he wouldn't leave until she told him to, and she hadn't told him to, she wouldn't ever.

She couldn't. Not with everything she'd seen and been through, not after knowing him, not after falling in –

"Rose?" Izzy stood in front of her. "Can I sit?" Rose nodded silently, and Izzy joined her on the bench. "You alright?"

"I'm fine," Rose said blankly. "You?"

"You don't look fine," Izzy said bluntly. "What's up?" Rose shrugged. "Where's the Doctor?" Rose shot her a look. "Uh huh. Wanna talk about it?"

"No," Rose said. "S'not that I don't – I mean – I don't know. It's complicated."

"Sure. Why?" Izzy tilted her head. "Because he's older? How old is he anyway, thirties?"

Rose shrugged again. "Dunno, never asked. He doesn't do birthdays – not his own, anyway. M'birthday last year, he made a huge deal out of it. Made such a big fuss. Baked a cake and everything."

"He baked?" Izzy looked suitably impressed. "Was it edible?"

Rose smiled. "Oh yeah, it was amazing. All chocolate and butter icing."

Izzy nodded slowly. "So…he's not your boyfriend but he baked a cake for you?"

"He's _not_ my boyfriend," Rose said firmly. "He's just not. He's…different. Better than that." She remembered telling Mickey that – years ago, it seemed. "He's the Doctor, that's all."

"And you love him."

Rose opened her mouth to protest, but something stopped her. Some small part of her that forced the truth. She gave a small shrug and looked at where the TARDIS had been.

"Doesn't matter," she said. "S'not how it is with us. It's just not. It never was."

"Never was?" Izzy raised an eyebrow. "Mind explaining that to me?"

"It's –"

"Complicated," Izzy finished. "I get it." She sighed. "Look, Rose…you're setting yourself up for hurt."

"I'm not."

"You bloody are," Izzy said forcefully. "You think he's gonna take you around the world forever?" Rose looked at her with hooded eyes. "'Cos he's not."

"He'll take me as long as I want to go," Rose said quietly. "He promised."

"And you actually think he'll keep that promise?" Izzy pressed. "Where is he now?"

"Just leave it," Rose snapped suddenly, standing up. "I don't see why you all think it's any of your business what I do, with or without the Doctor! I'm grown up, I'm not a little girl anymore, and I can make my own decisions! After the things I've seen!" She didn't notice Izzy's eyes staring past her, or the rumbling noise. "It's my business, and if I want to make myself bloody miserable, I'll do it, alright?"

"Miserable?"

Rose whirled around. The TARDIS was back, and the Doctor was standing in front of it, a frown on his face.

"Miserable?" he repeated. "You're miserable?"

She slapped him and ran off.

* * *

The Doctor tried to make himself even smaller. There were reasons, he reminded himself grumpily, that he didn't do families. This was one of them. 

Jackie Tyler. Possibly one of the most formidable women he had ever met, and that was saying a lot. He'd thought her a twit when he first met her – and she was, really – but when it came to her daughter, Jackie was immovable. Terrifying, in fact.

Grandpa Mark was similarly firm in his defence of his family, as the Doctor had discovered on his first day to this family circus.

The two of them were currently in Julie's sitting room with him. Mark was sitting in the armchair he usually occupied when here, and Jackie was standing, hands on her hips, quivering with rage.

"I was only gone an hour or two," he offered. "Right?"

"That's not the point!" Jackie exploded. The Time Lord winced. "Are you completely stupid? She asked you to be here with her. You take her off to God knows where and then when she asks you for one thing, you can't even stick around for three days without wandering off to who knows where!"

"You didn't even tell her you were going," Mark chimed in disapprovingly.

"Do you have any idea how frantic she was?" Jackie demanded. "She thought you'd left her here, she thought you'd got tired of her or something. That she'd done something wrong!"

He looked horrified. "I didn't think of that."

"You never do, Doctor!" Jackie stepped forward and the Doctor flinched backwards. "You never think about how you affect the people around you!" She paused for a moment. "You took my daughter away from me," she said then. "And I forgave you because of the look in her eyes when she sees you and that TARDIS. But you terrified her today, and if you ever do that again – I'll make sure you never fly off again."

Grandpa Mark frowned. "I'm missing something here," he said into the silence that followed Jackie's threat. "Someone want to clue me in?"

"Not now, Dad," Jackie said tiredly.

"I'm…I'm sorry," the Doctor said quietly. "I didn't…I just…"

"Don't explain yourself to me," Jackie said curtly. "Rose is the one you should be talking to. I know you were worried after your fight yesterday – but you knew she'd come back. She thought you wouldn't. Just remember that."

Mark tapped his foot on the floor. "Jackie," he said warningly. "Explain what you said before. Right now. Doctor?"

The Doctor scratched his cheek and looked at Jackie. This was really her call. He didn't approve of her telling him, but…

"Oh," he said suddenly. "That kid…Izzy? She saw the TARDIS land. Might be a bit confused."

Jackie rolled her eyes. "Oh, of course. That's just great, that is. Well, Doctor, you explain to Dad. Tell him how you whisk his granddaughter to all ends of the universe on a regular basis." She folded her arms and looked at him.

"Right. Um. Well." The Doctor glanced around. "I'm off to find Rose, then. Bye!" He bolted.

* * *

"I'm sorry." 

She ignored him, concentrating on painting her nails.

"I should have said I was going out."

She didn't answer.

"Will you look at me, Rose?"

She gave him a cursory look, then returned her attention to her nails. He sighed in exasperation.

"Look, you knew I'd be coming back."

"No," she said sharply. "I didn't."

He sighed again. "You're being silly. I told you I wouldn't leave you, didn't you?"

"Do you think that stopped me being terrified?" Rose demanded, putting the lid on the bottle of nail polish and looking properly at him. "Yeah, you did tell me you wouldn't leave, but this is also my planet in my time and my family, so how do I know you won't suddenly decide this is what's best for me and go disappearing off into the universe?" She waved her arms about. "I was so –" The words choked in her throat and she turned away to hide tears.

"Rose…" The Doctor stepped closer to her. "I didn't mean to scare you. I just…needed to get away for a bit. I don't do family, Rose, I just don't."

"I know," she said softly. "I just…you should have told me."

"I know."

"I thought I'd done something wrong," she said in a small voice.

"No!" he exclaimed. "Rose, no! There's no way you could do something wrong." He stepped in front of her and grabbed her shoulders. "No way. You understand?"

They stared at each other for a moment, and then her arms were around his neck and his hands had slid down to her waist and they were kissing.

It was the strangest, most beautiful moment in her young life. His skin was slightly cooler than hers, and his thumb rubbing gently across the skin at her waist sent shivers running through her. She could feel both heartbeats in his chest. His lips on hers were soft and gentle and oh-so-wonderful. She never wanted to let go, never wanted this moment to end, never wanted –

He pulled away slightly. She was breathing raggedly, and looked up at him with trepidation. Was he just going to brush it off? Or would he…

"Rose," he said in a strange voice. "I…"

"Don't say it," she said quickly. "Don't say that you shouldn't have done that. Don't say anything like that. If you want to forget about it, fine, but don't…don't say anything."

"I wasn't going to say that," he said quietly.

"Oh." She bit her lip. "What…what were you going to say?"

"I don't know, actually." He tilted his head. "I, uh, might need to retrace my steps, as it were. See if I can remember what I was going to say."

She took a breath. "Oh. Okay."

He kissed her again. He pulled her close against him and she moaned. This was perfection.

"No," he said after a while. "No, I definitely wasn't going to say…whatever it was you didn't want me to say."

"That's good," Rose murmured, leaning against him and listening to his heartbeats. "'Cos I'd have to kill you, if you did."

He chuckled and his chest rumbled underneath her cheek. "You might have to line up. Your mum's a scary woman."

"What did she do?"

"Threatened to kill me if I ever leave you like that again."

Rose pulled back and punched him lightly on the shoulder. "Yeah, well, don't do that, alright?"

The Doctor shook his head. "No." he cupped her cheek. "Not going to do that again. I promise." He made to kiss her again, then withdrew. "By the way, both Izzy and Grandpa Mark now know I'm an alien."

"What?"

* * *

Please review! 

Next chapter up as soon as it's written, which at the rate I'm going will be...Thursday or Friday.


	5. Day Four

Title: Domestic Battleground

Rating: T – not suitable for younger children, because I have a dirty mind.

Summary: The Doctor promised Jackie he'd take Rose back for special occasions. But a whole week with her family? Will he survive, and more importantly, will Rose?

Notes: Day Four. Family, Monopoly, and suits.

* * *

Day Four

* * *

"Michelle's broken her arm! Bella's going nuts!"

Rose blinked blearily. "Izzy? What –"

"Michelle's broken her arm," Izzy repeated. "Auntie Julie's gone to the hospital with her, Bella's freaking out, and Auntie Jackie wants you two to go to the hospital too, 'cos Auntie Julie's in a state but no-one else can be spared."

Rose made some sort of noise.

"C'mon, get dressed," Izzy said impatiently. "And later I want to talk to you about this whole alien thing."

She left, slamming the door behind her.

Rose groaned and pulled the blankets up over her head. They were promptly pulled down again.

"Just 'cos you don't need much sleep is no reason to deprive the rest of us," she groused. "Go away."

"You heard the girl. Up, Rose."

"No." She tried to pull the blankets back towards herself. He held them tight. "Doctor," she murmured, trying not to whine. "Please."

He leaned over and kissed her nose. "Good morning," he said in a cheery voice. "Sleep well?" She yawned and tried to move closer to him, keeping her eyes closed. "Uh uh, Rose. Up!"

"I'm up," she murmured, opening her eyes at last. "Why am I up at –" she checked her watch, "- half ten?" She sat up. "You let me sleep in," she accused.

The Doctor grinned. "Yep."

She shook her head, bemused. "Why?"

He got off the bed. "I, um…was watching you sleep."

Rose accepted this with a smile, and stretched out. She felt rather as though she might be glowing from happiness. It was silly, she told herself. She shouldn't be this happy just because –

Just because the Doctor loved her back. He hadn't said so, of course, and she hadn't said it to him. But she knew it. Every inch of her told her so.

They'd spent the afternoon avoiding her family (particularly Izzy and Grandpa Mark), talking about where they'd go once this was over, and making out. By the end of the evening he had been topless, and her t-shirt had also been abandoned somewhere.

That, Rose nodded to herself, had been good. The months of sexual tension had barely been abated, but it had been…fantastic, to borrow the Doctor's word.

"C'mon, then," he said, breaking into her thoughts. "You've got to go to the hospital."

"Alright," she yawned, practically falling off the bed. "What're you gonna do?"

"Avoid your family."

She grinned and motioned for him to turn around while she got dressed. "Might be a good idea. No idea what I'm going to say to Izzy and Grandpa." She buttoned her jeans and pulled a clean t-shirt on. "S'gonna be worse than it was with Mum." She crossed the room and took his hand. He pulled her into his arms and she gave a contented sigh. "So, what're you going to do?"

He raised an eyebrow. "Will you ever give over being curious?"

"Probably. When you give over being full of it."

"Fair enough." He tilted her chin up and kissed her. "I'll probably have a tinker with the TARDIS. She's acting up again – I know how you feel about the landings."

"Black and blue," Rose nodded. "I've still got bruises from this last one." She pulled her sleeve up to inspect her shoulder. His fingers ghosted over the fading bruise. "Just don't disappear off, alright?"

"I promise." The Doctor looked at her seriously. "I won't. I couldn't. Not now." Then he turned light-hearted again. "C'mon. Off to the hospital – and don't get any ideas about being a patient, either."

"Would I do that?" she teased, going to put her shoes on.

"Yes!" He glared. "Do I need to remind you about the little incident at the end of the world?"

She snorted. "What about you and – well, every time, really." She tilted her head. "You'd be dead if it wasn't for me," she reminded him smugly.

"Yes, I would." He gazed at her, serious again. She was used to his quicksilver moods, and simply nodded.

* * *

Rose ran a hand through her hair. "Grandpa, is this really the right time?" she demanded.

Mark folded his arms. "Yes," he said sternly. "I want some answers, young lady, and you will give them to me. Now is as good a time as any. Michelle's fine, and they won't be out for another hour at least." He leaned back on the bench. "Sit down."

Reluctantly Rose obeyed, knowing better than to try to avoid his investigation. When Grandpa Mark wanted something, he got it one way or another.

"So," Mark started. "Alien." Rose nodded silently. "From…where, exactly?"

"His planet doesn't exist anymore," she said. "It was destroyed. There was a war." Her face darkened. She knew much more about that now than she had when she'd first started travelling with the Doctor. "He's the only survivor."

His shock showed on his face. "The only one – of the whole planet?"

She nodded. "Yes."

Mark closed his eyes. "I was the only one of my unit left, during the war…but the only one of the planet?"

"It's a terrible feeling," Rose said softly. "You're all alone. There's nothing left. All that history, the culture…everything is gone. In the blink of an eye it's all been wiped out, and all that's left is you, and you might not last all that long anyway."

His eyes narrowed. "Rose –"

"It's a time machine," Rose interrupted. "Mum told you that, right? He's a time traveller; he goes all over the universe, all over time. And I go with him." She looked down at her hands, fiddling with her ring. "It's amazing, Grandpa."

"It's not safe, though." Jackie had told him that, yesterday. "Why do you go?"

"I love it," she said honestly. "The things I've seen and done…it's a thrill, and it's an eye-opener, and it's – "

"Him," Mark deduced. "You love him?" Rose nodded. "Hmph. He loves you?"

"I think so." Rose shrugged. "I mean…we haven't…he doesn't do the whole emotions thing. But yeah, I think he does."

Mark tapped her shoulder. "Is it worth it, Rose? He's…an alien."

"He's the Doctor," Rose disagreed. "That's all." She watched the cars pass them by. "He's…if you knew him the way I do, Grandpa…"

"I have a suspicion that no one knows him the way you do," Mark said astutely.

She shrugged. "Dunno. Probably the only one alive." She looked up at the sky; it was clear and blue, but she didn't see it. She saw the stars and nebulae and planets and possibilities.

"Jackie said you've nearly died."

Rose didn't want to answer that, so she kept her eyes on the silver BMW that was passing. Yes, of course she'd nearly died, many times. That's what happened when you travelled with the Doctor. Clive had been right, all those months ago. The Doctor's only constant companion was Death.

But she'd steered cleared of that fate so far, and she knew he'd keep her alive for as long as was within his abilities.

"Rose?"

Rose shrugged. "S'not important, Grandpa. It's just not."

"It is to us," Mark said quietly. "To the people you're leaving behind."

She closed her eyes. "I am leaving you behind," she acknowledged. "I love you, Grandpa – I love all of you. But he's…"

"He's it." Mark looked every inch of his age for a moment. "It was like that when I met your grandmother. I just knew. She was it. I would have faced Hell itself for her – I still would."

"That's it exactly," Rose nodded. "I'd die for him. Without a doubt."

Her grandfather nodded, then looked up. "Well, then," he greeted the newcomer. "Welcome to the family, sonny."

The Doctor looked horrified. "Oh god, no," he said flatly. "No way. Rose, no way."

Rose grinned. "S'alright," she consoled. "We don't have to come back for ages and ages after this." She stood up. "What've you got there?" He was holding a plastic bag. "S'not gonna explode, is it?"

"That was just the once," he said crossly, and glanced at Mark to make sure he was all right. The elderly man was watching them with both bemusement and amusement. "Besides, that was quite useful, really."

Rose conceded the point. "So, what is it?"

He shrugged, somewhat sheepishly. "Uh, present." She raised an eyebrow. "Well, I was shopping, and I just thought…well…it's not going to be fun for your cousin, in a cast for the wedding." He pulled a stuffed toy from the bag. "Well, everyone likes Pooh Bear…"

Rose shook her head in amusement. "You're such an idiot," she said fondly. "I do love you."

They both froze, startled. She hadn't meant to say it, and he wasn't expecting to hear it. It was said now, though, and by the smile that shaped his face, Rose thought that maybe he didn't mind.

"That's good," he said after a moment. "You done here yet?"

Mark waved her away. "Go, go," he allowed. "They'll be out soon enough. Enjoy the solitude while you can."

Rose grinned at him and joined the Doctor.

* * *

Rose watched Izzy pacing from her position on the grass in Bridget's back garden. It was really weird how much Izzy resembled Jackie right now, she mused. Almost scary, in fact.

"So," Izzy began. "This guy you've been swanning off with isn't a guy, he's an alien." Rose nodded, not feeling the need to verbally answer. The sun on her face was making her drowsy. "And he's…what, a time traveller?"

"Time Lord," Rose corrected lazily. "But basically, yeah."

"And you've been off seeing the galaxy?"

"Universe." Rose yawned. "S'very interesting."

"And that blue box…that's his space ship?"

"Yup. The TARDIS." Rose stretched out. The grass was deliciously warm. "S'bigger on the inside. Bedrooms, library, gym, swimming pool…"

"Swimming pool?" Izzy flopped onto the ground with a grin. "You and he go swimming, then?"

"Nah." Rose closed her eyes. "Too busy. Always somewhere else to see." She paused. "You okay?"

"Yeah…no…I dunno," Izzy admitted. "I mean, Tim's always going on about aliens, but I never thought…"

"Neither did I, 'til I met him," Rose agreed. "S'not something you think about, is it? Space ships and travelling to other planets and things. The aliens I've seen…s'like something out of Star Trek, or something."

"But why did you go with him?" Izzy wanted to know. "Two years ago – why did you go?"

Rose opened her eyes and looked up at the sky. That day. Two years ago, according to her family. It seemed longer to her, somehow. She had been so young back then. So naïve.

"Mum likes to think it was because of him," she said slowly. "Because of the Doctor. But it wasn't. Not really. Maybe a bit, but there were other reasons. All sorts of things that sort of…became clear. I looked at myself and didn't like what I was turning into. I didn't want to spend the next ten years in a shop folding clothes or working a till. I didn't want to live on the estate and have a boyfriend and then get married and have kids and give up my dreams. I didn't just want to be Rose Tyler, dropout and next in line for normal domestic life. I wanted more."

"That's why I asked you to come with me."

Rose sat up. The Doctor was without his jacket for once, and was looking at her intently.

"That's why I asked you," he repeated. "Because I knew you didn't want all this." His hand swept out, encompassing the house, garden, and neighbourhood. "I could see it, when you helped me with the Autons. You loved it – you felt alive for the first time in your life. There was no way you were going to be able to go back to your boring life after that."

Rose reached her hand out to him, and he took it. "I'm glad you asked me," she said seriously. "I wouldn't miss all this for anything."

He gave a rather goofy grin that disappeared rather rapidly when she pulled him down onto the grass next to her.

"Ooff." He hit the ground. "Rose! What'd you do that for?"

She grinned. "No reason." She pushed him onto his back and snuggled against him.

"Get a room," Izzy complained good-naturedly. "Or actually, don't, the guest bedroom's right above mine."

Rose flung an arm out and half-heartedly poked her. "Watch it," she said lazily.

"Yeah, yeah," Izzy said. "So where've you guys been? Have you met any famous dead people?"

"Oh god," Rose groaned.

"Charles Dickens!" the Doctor enthused. "That was fantastic! He was such a genius!"

"Yeah, that was an interesting experience," Rose remembered. "I was almost smothered by aliens in dead bodies trying to take over Earth."

"I apologised," the Doctor said sulkily.

"Okay," Izzy said quickly. "On second thoughts, forget I asked."

"Probably a good idea," Rose agreed. The Doctor's arm was securing her to him, and his heartbeats sounded in her ear. "S'all very complicated, anyway."

"It isn't," the Doctor contradicted.

"Maybe not to a Time Lord," Rose allowed sleepily. "Even if you weren't, you've got – what, eight hundred and eighty years of experience on me?"

Izzy sat up. "Eight hundred and – you're nine hundred years old?" she demanded.

"Thereabouts," the Doctor affirmed.

"That's so mental."

"Doesn't matter," Rose dismissed. "Hush up, I'm trying to nap."

"Comfy pillow, am I?" the Doctor jested.

"The best." She snuggled closer. "You don't mind, do you?"

"Nah." He aimed for nonchalant, but didn't quite pull it off. His free hand moved to stroke her hair gently. He glanced over at Izzy. "You alright?" he checked.

"It's really weird," Izzy said, pushing herself upright. "But you make Rose happy, and that's what's important." She headed indoors. "I'll see you later," she called back.

Rose hummed and slipped her hand under the Doctor's jumper, drawing random patterns on his skin.

"How'd it go with the battleaxe?"

"He's not that bad," she protested. "And he's…I think he's in a bit of shock, to be honest – Izzy too. But I don't care."

"Good." He didn't look at her when she opened her eyes curiously. "I can't let you go, Rose. Not now."

"How did it take us this long?" Rose asked softly. He didn't have an answer for her.

* * *

"Dammit, who owns Fleet Street?"

"Me," Anna sang out happily. She checked the card. "Twenty one pounds, please!"

Josh counted out the paper money and handed it to her. "I'll get you when you land on the greens," he promised.

"Don't say something that isn't true," Izzy grinned, rolling the dice. "Ha! Double!" She avoided landing on Oxford Street or neighbours and rolled again. She stared, counted the squares, and swore.

"Izzy," Bridget scolded. "Not in front of the kids."

"I'm not a kid," Anna scowled.

"But it's not fair," Izzy said, not quite whining. "He's got two hotels on them already!" She moved the tiny iron along the board, landing on Park Lane with bad grace. "How much, then?" she demanded.

The Doctor grinned and told her. "I like this game," he said as Izzy paid up.

"Only 'cos you're winning," Rose commented. "You hate money, I know you do."

"Ah, but this isn't real," he pointed out. "And doesn't have pictures of monarchs on."

Rose stuck her tongue out and rolled the dice. She was sitting next to the Doctor at the kitchen table, where Bridget's family was playing Monopoly. It was comfortable and – dare she think it? – domestic. She was rather surprised the Doctor was having as much fun as he was – but then, Tommy had been carefully seated as far as possible from him. He and Anna were playing together.

A three, and she landed on the Community Chest square. "You win local beauty pageant, collect ten pounds," she read out. "Ha! Me?" She took ten pounds from Bridget, who was being the bank. "Thanks, Auntie." She got up. "Anyone want a cuppa?" she asked.

"Milk, no sugar," the Doctor said absently, watching Anna roll the dice. "Don't suppose there's any chocolate biscuits?"

"Second cupboard to the left," Bridget told her niece. "Thanks, Rose." Anna finished her go, and Bridget took her turn. "How the –" She shook her head in disbelief, landed on Vine Street, and handed over some money to the Doctor.

"I'd give up," Rose advised. "He's a genius."

"Not really," the Doctor said absently. "Josh, your go."

Josh rolled, groaned, and mortgaged one of his properties to pay Rose rent.

"How am I doing?" Rose asked, bringing mugs over to the table. She gave the plate of biscuits to the Doctor. "Don't eat them all," she admonished.

Izzy took her turn. "Who owns the electric company?" she inquired.

"Ooh, that's me," Rose said. "And the waterworks, too, so that's twelve times nine, which is…?" she trailed off, looking expectantly at the Doctor.

"A hundred and eight quid," he said absently, debating the respective merits of a bourbon cream and a chocolate digestive. Rose made the decision for him by taking the digestive. "Oi!"

"You don't have to decide now," she pointed out. "Your go."

He grumbled and rolled, moving the tiny top hat along the board. He landed on Trafalgar Square and handed over some cash to Anna. "I might have wanted the digestive," he complained.

"Well, you can have the bourbon," Rose said implacably. She frowned. "We've been going out of turn," she observed.

"No we haven't," Tommy said at once.

"We have, look – the Doctor missed a turn, after Izzy landed on Park Lane."

"Doesn't matter," Josh said at once. "He's winning, he can do without a turn."

"That's not fair," Anna said worriedly. She was very obsessed with fair and the concepts of right and wrong at the moment. "He should have an extra go."

The Doctor gave a lopsided smile. "S'alright, Anna," he said cheerfully. "I don't mind. Tell you what, how 'bout I have the last biscuit to make up for it?"

"Chocolate slut," Rose murmured, low enough that only the Doctor could hear. He grinned at her. "My turn," she said louder. "Pass over those dice." She rolled and landed on Pall Mall. "Who owns that?" she asked.

"I do!" the Doctor said triumphantly. "Hand it over, Rose."

"I think this game is having a bad influence on you," she commented wryly, counting out more paper money. "In fact, I know it is." She passed the dice over to Tommy, who rolled and landed on Go. "D'you have any brownies left, Auntie?" she asked.

"No," Bridget shook her head, taking her turn. "Somebody must have eaten them all."

All eyes turned to the Doctor, who ignored them and collected fifty pounds from Josh.

"I'm bankrupt," Josh declared in frustration. "I'm out."

Izzy frowned. "You are?" She looked at his cards – he'd had to sell or mortgage all of his properties, and he had one blue five pound note left. "Oh, you are." She sounded rather impressed.

Anna yawned, and Bridget looked at her watch. "Bedtime in ten minutes," she said authoritatively. "Whoever's got the most cash then, wins. No arguments," she added quickly as Tommy opened his mouth. "It's the rehearsal tomorrow, you need your energy."

"Alright," Tommy agreed gloomily. "But it's stupid. The Doctor's won."

"I have," the Doctor agreed smugly. "Come on, Izzy, your go."

Izzy rolled, landed on the waterworks, and swore. Bridget didn't even bother to reprimand her eldest child as she sold a house from Leicester Square to pay Rose her due.

Ten minutes later, Anna and Tommy were also bankrupt. Bridget ordered everyone else to count up their cash.

"Three hundred and forty-one," Izzy announced gloomily. "I've lost, then.

"No, I've only got one hundred and three," Bridget countered. "Rose?"

Rose was grinning. "Two thousand, three hundred and ninety-three," she reported gleefully. "Beat that, Doctor!"

The Doctor looked up from his money. "Two thousand, three hundred and twelve," he said after a moment. "You win."

Izzy gave a happy shriek and pulled Rose out of her chair. The two danced around the kitchen, pretending not to hear Bridget's order for them to stop. The mother gave up after a moment and ordered Anna and Tommy upstairs.

"Teeth and pyjamas," she ordered. "Quick march, now!" She started packing away the game, but stopped when she saw the Doctor's pile of money.

There were three pink pieces of paper – three thousand pounds of Monopoly money. She raised an eyebrow at the Doctor, who gave a half-shrug and continued watching Rose. Bridget smiled internally. She approved of the Doctor, she thought to herself. Rose deserved someone like him.

Later, curled up in the Doctor's arms in the guest bedroom, Rose asked why he'd been so good about playing Monopoly.

"I know you hate stuff like that," she said softly.

The Doctor didn't answer for a moment. "Rose – it's not that I hate it, I just…it all reminds me of…"

"Home," she completed for him. "I'm sorry."

"No, don't be," he said quickly. "S'not your fault, is it?"

"I'd hope not."

"No. It was quite fun, actually – Monopoly, I mean. It changes a lot, I'd forgotten how simple it is in the twenty-first century."

Rose giggled. "Simple! You're so weird."

"Thanks. I think." He pulled her closer. "Too weird?"

"Never." She tilted her head up and kissed him. "God, I love being able to do that," she said afterwards. She yawned and settled her head onto his chest. "S'the rehearsal tomorrow," she reminded him. A thought occurred to her. "Do you have a suit?" she asked.

"A suit?" The Doctor was highly sceptical.

"Yes, a suit."

"What's wrong with my normal clothes?"

Rose rolled her eyes even though he couldn't see it. "If I have to wear that bridesmaid's dress – "

"Can you even call it that?"

"Then you have to wear a suit," Rose continued doggedly. "Besides, you look well sexy in a suit."

He smirked. "I'll see what I can rustle up. Any other plans for tomorrow?"

"Um." Rose had to think for a minute; she was nearly asleep. "Oh, Bella's…thing. Last fling as a single woman, or something. Not a proper hen party, just us cousins – the older ones. You're invited too." She nuzzled closer, yawning. "You can drink vodka, right?"

"Vodka?" he echoed questioningly, to no avail. Rose was asleep.

* * *

Please review! Enjoy 'Dalek', or if you've already seen it by the time you read this, I hope you enjoyed 'Dalek'!

Next part out within a few days.


	6. Day Five

Title: Domestic Battleground

Rating: T – not suitable for younger children, because I have a dirty mind.

Summary: The Doctor promised Jackie he'd take Rose back for special occasions. But a whole week with her family? Will he survive, and more importantly, will Rose?

Notes: Day Five. Rehearsal, chips and drunkenness.

* * *

Day Five

* * *

"Right, so you're here," Julie said distractedly. "And Michelle, you're here. You in pain?" 

"No, Mum," Michelle said patiently, rolling her eyes. Bella gave her an absent smile. "I've got my meds, anyway."

"Yes, of course," Julie nodded. "Jeff, where's Mandy? She and Anna need to get into position…"

She drifted away to find the errant family. Rose took the opportunity to perch on a pew. She hoped the wedding itself wouldn't be this tiring.

"Humbug?"

Rose pulled a sweet from the paper bag the Doctor offered her. "S'not fair," she muttered. "You get to sit there doing nothing while I have to march up and down that bleeding aisle."

"In that dress," he added. "You could've said no, you know."

"No, I couldn't," she sighed, watching her mum. "At least this way Mum won't hark on about me getting married for at least another…year or so? Maybe?"

The Doctor shifted. "Hmm."

Rose didn't catch the emotion that flickered across his face, too busy watching Tommy and Mark pull a songbook to pieces.

"Yeah, well," she shrugged. "She's a mother, y'know?" She held out her hand for another humbug, but he kept the bag out of her reach. She settled for taking his hand instead. "Rehearsal wedding, rehearsal dinner," she murmured. "No point to it, if you ask me."

"We didn't," Jackie snapped from behind her. Rose turned guiltily. "And if you're finished mucking about with your boyfriend, you're needed. We're doing the walk. Come on!" She eyed the Doctor as if he were something she'd much rather tread on than speak to, and went to the other side of the church.

"Yeah, yeah," Rose muttered, rising and brushing her hand against the Doctor's cheek. "Be back in a bit. Behave," she cautioned.

"What could I do in here?" he demanded.

"I dunno, but you'd find something," she called back over her shoulder, making her way to the doors of the church where Bella, Izzy, Sandy, Michelle and Anna had already gathered. There were to be six bridesmaids – Bella not being able to choose between her cousins – and six groomsmen, only three of which were cousins. The other three were Stephen's brothers.

"C'mon," Bella said impatiently as Rose sidled up. "You're with Chris – Izzy, you've got Tim. Josh and Sandy together. Anna, Michelle, you're with Ron and George." She ushered them towards the younger two of her fiancé's brothers. Rose found herself next to a tall man in his early twenties, with green eyes that hinted at mischief.

"Hiya," she greeted quietly. "Chris, right? Stephen's brother."

"And you're the infamous Rose," Chris nodded. "You disappeared for a year."

Rose didn't even blush at it anymore. "Yeah. I did." She faced the front of the church. She noticed that the Doctor was paying attention now, his eyes moving between her and Chris. She frowned. What was his deal? she asked herself silently.

"Ready?" Julie called from the altar. "And –"

Someone had brought a tape player and was playing the Wedding March. Chris took her arm and Rose followed Izzy down the aisle, trying not to look as silly doing this as she felt, dressed in ratty old jeans and a tank top.

"I hate weddings," Chris said conversationally. "I've done two of these – one for Tom, my oldest brother, and one for my cousin. They're never any good."

"The reception's always fun," Rose pointed out. "Cake and champagne."

"I guess," Chris agreed. "Stephen said something about you travelling?"

"Shh," Bridget hissed from somewhere. Chris and Rose sat down and watched Bella and Stephen as they went through a mock version of the ceremony.

When it was over, Rose stood up, intent on returning to the Doctor. Chris stopped her with a hand on her arm.

"Wait – what's the rush?" he asked. "The parents'll want to do this again, and I've heard some interesting things about you."

Rose shrugged one shoulder, smiling faintly. "Like what?" she wanted to know.

"Oh, I dunno. I heard something about you going to Downing Street one time – Bella was pulling my leg a bit, I reckon."

Rose gave a fake smile. "Yeah, 'course. Look, I'd better go. The Doctor'll cause trouble soon."

"I won't."

Rose jumped nearly half a foot off the floor and glared at him. "Don't _do_ that," she said shrilly. "You nearly gave me a heart attack!"

The Doctor merely shrugged. "Not likely," he responded. "Who's your friend?"

"I'm Chris," the groomsman said with an easy smile. "Stephen's brother. You must be…the Doctor, right?" He held his hand out. The Doctor ignored it. Rose's eyes widened in disbelief.

"Oh my god," she said incredulously. "You're not –" He glanced at her. "You are!" She laughed. "I don't believe it!"

The Doctor bristled. "I'm going for a walk," he said, folding his arms. "Want chips?"

That stilled her. "Sure," she said slowly. "Let's go." She turned to her mother. "Mum, we're off," she called.

"Oh no you're not," Jackie said, looking up from helping the twins. "We're still rehearsing, and there's the lunch too."

Rose shook her head. "We need to get out," she told her mother quietly. "We'll be back after lunch, yeah?"

Jackie glanced between Rose and the Doctor. The Doctor was obviously uncomfortable, and as much as she disliked him, she wasn't that cruel.

"Alright, go," she allowed. "But call if you're gonna be later than three, alright?"

"Alright," Rose agreed, taking the Doctor's hand and steering them around the family to leave the church.

* * *

They had chips when one or other of them was upset and needed to talk, but didn't want to come straight out and talk. They'd started the tradition after she'd seen the end of the Earth, and somehow it had stuck. They'd had chips after the encounter with the Dalek; after he'd nearly sacrificed himself for her; after she'd managed to single-handedly end a war in one day. 

She still didn't know how she'd done that.

She ate her chips, watching the pigeons as they waddled across the tarmac, picking at crumbs left behind by children. They were sitting on swings in the park she'd come to the other day, when she'd run off.

"Life's weird," she said randomly. Their conversations at times like these always started with random comments. It was a roundabout way of getting to the point. "I mean…look at those birds. We're always wondering what the point of life is – why we're here. Humans, I mean. And then look at the birds. They don't know why they're here. Probably don't care. So why do we?"

"The human quest for self-betterment," the Doctor said absently. "Or no, wait, that's Star Trek…"

Rose grinned. "S'the same thing, really."

"Yeah." The Doctor licked some ketchup from his finger. "Blimey, but your family's weird."

"You only just noticed this?" she inquired dryly.

"Nah. They're just weirder than normal, today," he retorted, grinning. "Did you see the twins?"

"Nah, what'd they do?" she asked.

"They were trying to see the top of the organ," he informed her. "So decided to try climbing up the walls."

Rose laughed. "Yeah, that sounds like them," she nodded. She shook her bag of chips to spread the salt more evenly. "I'm surprised they've never broken a bone," she added, then looked at him speculatively. "Actually, I'm surprised _you _haven't broken a bone, in all the time I've known you."

The Doctor rolled his eyes. "Yeah, yeah. Your broken wrist was bad enough, thanks."

"That wasn't my fault," she reminded him. "Stupid sinkholes."

"Hmm." He sounded disbelieving. He finished his chips and chucked the empty bag into a nearby bin. "Good chips."

"Yeah." Rose, doubting her throwing ability, chose to crumple her bag and shove it in a pocket. "I needed that. Hungry work, walking around."

"Yep." He started swinging gently. "Big thing, this wedding, isn't it?"

"Bella's the first to get married," Rose nodded, swinging as well. "S'got all the aunts happy." She looked sideways at him. "I liked Chris," she commented lightly.

"Really?" The Doctor stopped swinging. "You do have tragic taste in men."

She raised an eyebrow. "Really?"

"I mean, Jimmy Stones – he was a git."

"When did you ever meet Jimmy Stones?" she asked suspiciously.

"And then Mickey," the Doctor continued, ignoring her question. "Alright, not a complete idiot, but the things he ate!"

"That saved Mum's life," Rose pointed out.

"Then Adam – well, the less said about him, the better! And now this Chris bloke."

"You don't have any reason to be jealous," she said matter-of-factly.

The Doctor snorted. "Me? Jealous? Please." He waved a hand as if dismissing the very idea.

"Greener than a tree," she remarked, slowing her swing. "Wanna tell me why?"

The Doctor sulked for a full minute before answering. "They're human," he said at last. "They're normal." He shrugged. "You'd be safer, staying here."

Rose took a deep breath before replying. "You stupid idiot," she said bluntly. "You think I want safe or normal?" She shook her head. "Were you even listening to me yesterday in the garden?"

"Maybe you're wrong to want to come with me," he countered.

"Maybe I should decide that," she said quietly. "Why's all this coming up again, Doctor?" He shrugged again. She slipped off her swing and went to stand in front of him, cupping his face in her hands. "It's because of us, isn't it?" He wouldn't meet her eyes. "Well, you can't leave me here," she said after a moment.

"Oh?"

"You promised. Not until I ask you to leave, remember?" She put her hands on her hips. "Well, I'm not asking. In fact, I'm telling you to take me with you." Rose gave a small smile. "I couldn't do without you," she admitted. "I love you."

The Doctor groaned and a moment later his arms were around her waist. "I'm so glad I met you," he muttered. "I love you, Rose."

"Good thing," she murmured. "'Cos you're stuck with me."

* * *

Tim clapped his hands together. "Alright!" he said loudly. "Can all grownups and kids please vacate the premises!" 

Josh snorted. "You sound like an idiot," he told his cousin. "Does the Doctor count as an adult?"

"Not hardly," Sandy said at once. "Look at him!" The three cousins looked towards the corner of the room, where Rose and her boyfriend were having great fun apparently trying to find each other's tonsils.

Tim grinned. "Yeah, well. Sandy, make sure the parents are gone, yeah?" Sandy left the sitting room. "Don't forget the kids, too," Tim called after her. The adults and the younger cousins were being thrown out of Julie's flat for the evening for Bella's pre-marital fun.

Bella and Izzy came in, carrying a large cardboard box.

"Forfeits and things," Izzy declared. "Rose, get a room!"

Rose rested her forehead against the Doctor's. "We're being summoned," she said softly. "Save this for later, yeah?"

"Promise." They joined the others in the centre of the room. Rose raised an eyebrow when she saw what was there.

"How drunk are we planning on getting?" she asked.

"Very," Izzy grinned. "Right…Tim, you're there…and Sandy next to you. Then Josh – put the phone away, Josh, or I'm flushing it – then Rose and the Doctor. Bella, you sit in the armchair, yeah?" She sat herself down between the Doctor and Bella.

"So what're we doing?" Rose asked, settling down on the sofa with the Doctor. She watched Tim as he mixed cocktails. "Anyone want to clue me in?"

"We're starting with 'I Never'," Sandy grinned. "Bella gets to go first." Tim handed out martinis and shot glasses. A bottle of tequila and one of vodka went onto the coffee table.

Bella made a face. "Right. Everyone remember how to play?"

"Remind me," Rose said. "I haven't played that in ages."

"Someone says something they never did," Tim said. "Everyone who's done that thing takes a drink. And honesty is the best policy."

"For everyone else, at least," Josh chimed in, grinning. "C'mon, Bella."

Bella thought for a moment. "Alright. I…never had a crush on a teacher."

Izzy snorted and watched with amusement as Josh, Sandy and Rose all took the first drink of the evening.

"Tell," she demanded.

"Not this sober!" Rose said swiftly.

"I was eight," Sandy shrugged. "Not my fault." She looked at Josh expectantly. Josh shook his head.

"I'll start talking after I'm drunk," he told them. "You can get enough embarrassing things out of me then! Tim, your turn."

"Alright." The second-oldest cousin was sitting on the floor, cross-legged. He grinned suddenly. "I never nearly exploded a cat," he announced.

Rose gave a shriek of outrage. "You bastard!" she declared. "You swore you wouldn't tell!"

"I didn't," Tim grinned. "Take a drink, girl." Grumbling, Rose obeyed, ignoring the Doctor's badly hidden mirth.

"What happened?" Bella demanded.

"We were mucking about with fireworks," Tim explained when it was obvious that Rose wasn't going to. "And there was this stray cat that wouldn't leave us alone – it had fleas, and everything! So Rose had the bright idea of scaring it off by attaching a firework to its tail."

"I was only eleven," Rose offered in her defence. "And the cat was alright…mostly." She smiled in memory. "Half its tail was singed, remember?"

"Oh yes," Tim nodded. "I remember that old lady yelling at us both for cruelty to animals. Sandy, your turn."

"I never broke a bone," the girl said promptly. Rose, Josh, Tim and the Doctor all drank. "Rose, when did you –"

"Last year," Rose said. "My wrist." She held the limb aloft. "S'fine now." She grimaced. "Don't tell Mum, yeah?"

"I never wore my sister's underwear," Josh pronounced. Tim went bright red.

"What happened?" Izzy asked, grinning.

"I was really, really drunk," he said pathetically, drinking. "And let's never talk about it again. Rose, your go."

Rose looked speculatively around the circle. "I never…Ooh! I never flashed on the London Eye."

Izzy drank sheepishly. "You dared me," she accused. "And it was only for a moment." She looked at the Doctor, who looked highly amused at the drinking game. "Your turn."

"I never pissed someone off after only ever saying two words to them," the alien said after a moment.

"You liar," Rose accused.

"The shortest was three words," he said smugly. "Drink up, Rose." Scowling, Rose drank, as did Bella. "How'd you do that?" the Doctor wanted to know.

"The first time I met Stephen? I called him an arrogant pig." She grinned. "He chucked his crisps over me, he was so mad. Worked out alright, though."

"I never had a one-night stand," Izzy announced. Tim, Sandy, Josh and Rose drank. So, after a moment, did the Doctor.

"Ha! I knew it!" Rose crowed. "Anyone I knew?"

"No," he said uncomfortably. "What about you?"

Rose had the decency to blush. "Well…technically it was a one night stand, 'cos I only slept with him the once…"

"Adam?" The Doctor shook his head. "Crazy, you are," he pronounced.

"I never travelled outside Europe," Bella said. Tim, Rose and the Doctor drank.

"I think you're trying to get me drunk," Rose said, looking round at the cousins.

"Yup," Izzy grinned. "Drunk enough, you might tell us where you've been."

Rose looked at the Doctor, then shrugged. "Ah well. Bring it on."

"I never went skinny-dipping," Tim said.

Rose stared. "You kidding me? You? You've done _everything_ once!"

"Not skinny-dipping," Tim shook his head. "I notice you're drinking to that, Rose." Rose grinned and watched as Bella, Izzy and the Doctor also drank.

* * *

Rose giggled and slumped against the Doctor. "It was so funny," she slurred. "An' he was…" She couldn't finish, too busy giggling. The Doctor rolled his eyes and put his arm around her to stop her rolling off the sofa. 

Tim lifted his head from the ground. "I think it's bedtime," he said dazedly.

"Yup," Izzy hiccupped. She pushed herself out of her chair, arms wind-milling wildly to keep from falling over. "Sandy…" Sandy was snoring on the floor. Izzy shrugged. "Sleep there," she nodded. "Tim an' Josh, go t'the twins bedroom." She watched, laughing, as Josh and Tim tried to help each other up. "Bella an' me in her room."

"And where're Rose and I?" the Doctor asked. He was the most sober of the lot.

"Mum's bedroom," Bella slurred. "Night-night."

"Right." The Doctor carefully eased Rose away from him. She blinked up at him.

"Where you going?" she asked plaintively.

"Bed," he said. "You too. C'mon."

"Ooh, bed!" Rose jumped up and nearly fell over again. The Doctor caught her arm and steadied her. "Oops," she giggled.

"Come on," he said, shaking his head and carefully guiding her out of the sitting room. "You're so drunk. You're going to have a hell of a hangover."

"Don't care," she declared, leaning into him and rubbing her cheek against the leather jacket. "Mm, soft."

"You will care," he promised. "I dunno, you humans and your drinking games…stupid, that's what it is."

"S'fun," Rose declared. She stumbled into the bedroom and collapsed on the bed. "Mmm," she sighed, watching as the Doctor pulled her shoes off. "Good Doctor…"

"What am I, a pet dog?" the Doctor grumbled good-naturedly, pulling off his jacket and boots. "Bloody nutter, you are."

"Peanut," Rose nodded. She grabbed his hand and pulled him onto the bed. "An' you're a walnut."

"I prefer pecan nuts," he said, settling next to her. "You should have some water."

"Nah." She tugged at his shirt until he pulled it off, just in case she tore it. She ran her hands over his chest happily. "This's better."

"You're drunk," he said, trying not to react to her fingers grazing over his nipples. "You'll be so sorry in the morning, that you're doing this."

"No I won't," she said, a stubborn look on her face. "You just don' like me." She took her hands away and folded her arms, turning so she was facing away from him.

The Doctor grimaced. "How did I ever end up like this?" he asked the air. He reached over and pulled Rose towards him. "Don't be silly," he said firmly. "'Course I like you. I just don't want you to do anything you'll regret."

She wriggled around again, beaming. "Good!" She kissed him, then licked a trail down his chest to his right nipple.

"Rose!" His voice was strangled. "Rose, this is something you'll regret!"

She took his hand and placed it over her breast. "Don't you want me?" she pouted. He pulled his hand away quickly.

"No," he said quickly. "No, that's not it, Rose, but…" He cast about for some way to stop her. "I'm knackered," he said at last. "Really tired. Let's just go to sleep, yeah?"

She frowned. "But you want me?"

"Yes."

She grinned. "Really? Even though I'm only a stupid ape?"

The Doctor smiled, brushing her hair behind her ear. "You're not a stupid ape," he said. "And yes, I want you. More than I should, probably. But you're drunk, and you're going to sleep."

"Alright," Rose yawned, contented. She curled around the Doctor, nuzzling his neck. "Mm." She yawned again, closed her eyes, and fell asleep.

The Doctor rolled his eyes and watched her.

* * *

There you go. Wow, I'm prolific this weekend! If I fail my classics exams, I'm blaming Doctor Who.

Next chapter up hopefully within a few days, definitely by the end of the week.

Please review!


	7. Day Six

Title: Domestic Battleground

Rating: T – not suitable for younger children, because I have a dirty mind.

Summary: The Doctor promised Jackie he'd take Rose back for special occasions. But a whole week with her family? Will he survive, and more importantly, will Rose?

Notes: Day Six. Breakfast, shopping and domesticity. Sorry it took so long - my mum's had to go into hospital, so I'm a bit all over the place. Enjoy!

* * *

Day Six

* * *

Rose opened her eyes and immediately closed them again. Her tongue felt three times bigger than normal in her mouth; her head was pounding; her stomach was warning her against any sudden movements.

And on top of that, the Doctor was laughing at her.

"Shut it," she moaned. "Please shut up."

"I warned you." He sounded just a little bit too pleased with himself. "I said you'd have a hell of a hangover."

"Yeah," she muttered, burying her face in the pillow for a moment. "Get us a glass of water?"

"I've got better." He produced something from a pocket. "Here, eat this." Giving him a glare, she took the small cube and ate it. It was slightly chewy, very moist, and tasted of raspberries. "Thought you might need that," he said.

"Thanks," she muttered, slowly sitting up. The headache was swiftly disappearing. "What was that?"

He opened his mouth to speak, then reconsidered. "You don't want to know," he said. "Leave it at that. Breakfast?"

"You're cooking?" she asked eagerly. "Yeah!"

He rolled his eyes. "You only want me for my cooking," he teased. "Alright. Get dressed, get the other kids up, and I'll see what I can rustle up."

Rose grinned and grabbed his hand. "You're a star," she said. "Thank you." She frowned suddenly, bits and pieces of memory coming to her. "What did I do last night?" she asked slowly.

The Doctor went slightly red and stood up. "I'll go start then," he said loudly, leaving the bedroom.

Rose stood up and stretched. Her hangover had practically disappeared, thanks to whatever the Doctor had given her. She couldn't remember the last time she'd been that drunk. She had a vague memory of kissing the Doctor, but…

Ah well.

She pulled off the clothes she'd slept in and changed into the clean clothes she'd brought. Waking up her cousins proved easy enough once she mentioned that magical word, 'breakfast'. They tumbled from their beds or sleeping places in various states of disarray and piled into the kitchen, where the Doctor was frying bacon and eggs.

"Brilliant," Josh enthused. "S'that beans?"

"You lot wouldn't survive without your beans on toast," the Doctor said cheerfully. "'Course it's beans." He handed a cup of coffee to Rose and kissed her. "Awake yet?" he asked.

"Just a bit," she smiled, putting her arm around his waist. "Thanks for this."

"Yeah, well." He moved her out of the way and shovelled the bacon and eggs onto a plate. "Put that on the table." She did as she was told with a grin. The food disappeared rapidly. She nabbed a bit of bacon. "That all?" he asked disapprovingly.

"I'm not really hungry," she excused. "I'll have some toast, though."

He passed her a slice on a plate. "Jam or peanut butter?" he wanted to know. "Or d'you want to be American and have both?"

She laughed. "Fat chance! I'll have peanut butter, please." She frowned. "Did someone call me a peanut last night?"

"Yep." The Doctor was enjoying this far too much, she complained silently. "Oi, watch it!" he said as Sandy reached past him for the saucepan of beans. "You almost burned my jacket," he complained.

"That thing's survived for years," Rose said derogatively. "And more things than my clothes ever have, and you're worried about a saucepan burning it?"

"Well, it could happen," he said defensively. He glanced over at the table. "Better put more bacon on."

"And eggs," Izzy called out. "Thanks, Doc!"

Rose bit back a smile as the Doctor shuddered at the nickname. She leaned in close to him. "I prefer your speciality eggs," she said softly. "Can we have some, when we go home?"

The Doctor stilled. The noise of the kitchen washed around the pair as he looked at her. "Home?" he repeated. "Home?"

She smiled. "Yeah. Home. You know, the big blue box?"

"But – you –"

She grinned. "Idiot," she said fondly. "Don't you get it yet?"

* * *

Rose laughed. "You are kidding!"

Izzy gave a curtsey. "Yup." She pulled the straw hat off, blowing feathers out of her face. "God. Who would buy something like this?"

"Some silly little girl, probably," Rose shrugged. She checked her watch. "Lunch," she announced. "I'm starving."

"Shopping's hungry work," Izzy agreed, gathering up her bags. "Where to?"

"Dunno," Rose shrugged, picking up her own bags. "There's a sandwich bar down the road, right? We could grab something there."

Izzy smirked. "Ahh. I forgot, you're meeting the Doctor soon, aren't you?"

Rose flushed. "Yes," she admitted. "But that's not –"

"Whatever," Izzy cut in airily. "S'your business, dear coz!"

"Ha! If only!" Rose snorted. "The things that our family's been saying to me…"

"You are Jackie's only daughter," Izzy pointed out. "And you are the special one."

Rose paused in the shop doorway for a moment. "What d'you mean?" she wanted to know.

Izzy frowned. "You don't know? You're you," she said simply. "It sort of started when your dad died – all the aunts love you, Uncle Jeff loves you, the kids all love you – did you never wonder why you always got away with everything?"

Rose shrugged awkwardly.

"And you can't say you're not special now," Izzy continued, pushing Rose out of the shop. "Gallivanting around the universe with an alien."

"Keep it down," Rose said with a smile. "Don't want the whole world hearing, yeah?" They stopped at the sandwich bar to buy their lunch. "I'm not all that different to anyone else," Rose said afterwards. "I'm just…"

"Just you," Izzy said with amusement. "Don't worry, I get it." She stopped and looked in a shop window. "God, who could wear something like that?" She pointed out a leopard-print mini-skirt. "I mean, I know the fashion's weird at the moment, but…"

Rose hid a smile and chose not to think about the planet where she'd had to wear something uncomfortably similar.

"Oh, look, there's lover boy," Izzy said after a few minutes. She waved at the Doctor, who was across the street and heading towards them.

"Don't call him that," Rose muttered, cheeks flushed. "He doesn't like nicknames."

"Oh, so that's why he almost growled when I called him Doc this morning?"

"He did not," Rose protested, grinning.

The next thirty seconds or so seemed to happen far quicker than normal. Rose wasn't quite sure of the sequence of events, but Izzy later told her that she'd stepped forwards and a bicycle had swerved into her. Rose had then been knocked into a passing car, which had screeched to a stop. Rose had bounced off the bonnet and landed in a heap on the ground.

Rose just remembered being on the ground, her palms stinging, the breath knocked out of her.

"Rose!" The Doctor appeared above her, frantic. "Rose! Don't move."

She forced the air out of her lungs and then took a ragged breath in; she did it again, and again, until she could breathe properly.

"I'm alright," she said then, still gasping a little. "Ow. Shit. Ow." Unexpectedly she felt tears welling in her eyes.

"Rose! God, are you alright?" Izzy was at her side, then got up and rounded on the cyclist. "You stupid git! Why can't you watch where you're going?"

"Izzy, it wasn't his fault," Rose said. "Doctor, help me up."

"Casualty or the TARDIS," he said sternly as he helped her up. His hands roved over her, feeling for injuries. "Your choice."

"TARDIS," she said. She looked at her hands; her palms were grazed. Her jeans had ripped at the knee, too. "Uh. My head…"

"You hit your head?" Izzy demanded, turning back to her. She gathered up all the bags that had scattered. "Right, c'mon, let's get you seen to."

"Oh, not another one in my TARDIS," the Doctor complained. His eyes didn't leave Rose. "You alright to get there? S'not far."

"Yeah," Rose said dazedly. "Yeah, just…gimme your arm, yeah?" She leant on the proffered limb. His other hand clasped her hand tightly. She gave him a wan smile. "I'm fine," she said.

"You're bleeding and in shock," the Doctor said bluntly. "You're not fine."

"I'm fine," Rose repeated. "Just, um…stand still a moment, yeah?" She frowned. "Oh, you are."

"Okay." Izzy took Rose's other arm. "Let's just go a step at a time. C'mon. Left, then right."

The five-minute walk to the TARDIS took nearly half an hour, during which the Rose didn't talk much and the Doctor gave a mostly misunderstood explanation of the TARDIS so that Izzy wouldn't be too shocked.

"It's bigger on the inside," Rose said at last, patting the door of the Police Call Box fondly. "Ooh, my head."

"Alright," the Doctor said, opening the door. "Infirmary." He guided Rose in. "Shut the door," he called over his shoulder to Izzy. "And don't get lost."

"Mum'll kill me if Charlie kills you," Rose nodded, immediately regretting the action. "Ouch," she grumbled. "I want the dermal thingy," she said plaintively.

The Doctor frowned. "I think you're concussed," he muttered. "Right. Izzy." She looked at him, wide-eyed. "Don't let Rose touch anything," he instructed. "I'll be right back. Can't get her to the infirmary in this state, it's three floors up."

"Three…floors?" Izzy echoed. He gave her a look. "Right. Um. Rose. Sure." She paused. "Charlie?"

Ten minutes later the Doctor returned.

"She's insane," Izzy reported. "What're you doing?" she asked a moment later as the Doctor attached something to Rose's temple.

"It's to stop my concussion," Rose said, leaning against one of the support pillars. "It's amazing." She held her hands out, palms up. The Doctor ran the dermal regenerator over them. "And _that_ itches," she added.

"If that cyclist hadn't run into you, you wouldn't need it," the Doctor said tautly. Rose caught his hand, stopping him, and cupped his cheek with her other hand.

"It was just an accident," she said. "Could've happened to anyone." She gave a slight smile. "And hey, makes time and space seem less dangerous, right?"

"No." He crouched and ran the dermal regenerator over the cut on her knee. "You alright, Izzy?"

"Yeah," Izzy nodded. "S'a bit weird, that's all."

"He is that." Rose reached up to her temple. "Can I take this off?" she wanted to know.

"A few more minutes," the Doctor said, straightening up. "Any bruises?"

"Dunno," Rose shrugged. "Just ache a bit. I'll have a bath later, that'll sort me out."

"I swear, I could've killed that cyclist," Izzy groused. "He just came out of nowhere!"

"Yeah, but I'm fine," Rose said quickly. "We'd better get back, Auntie Bridget'll be worrying. We're s'posed to be watching the kids later, remember?" She slipped her arms around the Doctor. "I'm alright," she said yet again.

"I know," he said defensively. "I just…" He brushed her hair away from her face. "Don't do that again," he scolded.

"I'll try," she said softly.

"Break it up," Izzy said good-naturedly. "C'mon, Mum's gonna flip if we're not back soon, and I want to see some more of this thing."

"My room only," Rose said quickly, seeing the protest before it left his mouth. "I promise."

* * *

"There's something wrong about that," Sandy commented, shading her eyes and looking towards the house. The Doctor was sitting in a deck chair, supposedly reading a newspaper but actually watching Rose.

"He's male," Rose dismissed. "And I'm wet and wearing a white shirt – bloody idiot, me." She hefted a water balloon and threw it at Tommy.

"You could always go change," Izzy smirked.

Rose bit her lip. "Um. Yeah, I could, but…that would just be too much effort."

"Sometimes a girl likes to be ogled," Izzy nodded. "Gotcha." She shrieked and tried to avoid Anna's water balloon. It landed on the ground whole, and Izzy threw it back. "He should get wet too, though," she added.

"Nah, leave him alone," Rose shook her head. "He's been good, this week."

"It's been interesting," Sandy nodded. "He and Grandpa have been circling each other like wolves."

"Grandpa's more like a lion," Izzy disagreed. "King of the pride, or whatever. But the Doctor, he's the big bad wolf, alright."

Rose gave a slight smile. "Yeah." She stretched; she suspected her back was bruised. "S'gonna be good to be gone, though. I love you guys, but…"

"It's not home anymore," Sandy said. "I get it." Mandy threw a balloon at her, and she raced off to get revenge.

Rose wandered across the garden to the Doctor. She smiled as she saw him intently reading something about local tax.

"Didn't know you were that interested in local government," she said teasingly, wringing water from her hair.

"Oh, yeah, fascinating," the Doctor nodded, folding the paper and looking up at her. His eyes kept straying to her breasts, she noted with amusement. "S'no wonder there's a revolt in ten years time."

"There is?" Rose raised her eyebrows. "Huh. That's after Harriet's done, right?"

"Right." The Doctor reached out a hand to her; she took it and stretched out on the chair, half next to him and half on top of him. "You're getting me wet," he complained.

"Whatever," she said, breathing in his unique scent. "You don't mind really."

"Hmph," he snorted, wrapping his arm around her. She tried not to wince as he brushed a sore spot on her back. "You alright?" he asked instantly.

"You're a mother hen," she grumbled instead of answering. "I regret kissing you, if this is what's going to be happening." She tilted her head and kissed his chin. "I'm fine."

"Yeah, I know."

"So stop being so –" Rose was cut off by a water balloon exploding on her shoulder. She shrieked and fell off the chair. "Izzy! You're dead!"

"I'm wet!" the Doctor complained, prodding his wet shirt. "This is war," he announced. "Rose, you with me?" He pulled his shirt off. Rose nodded, tongue in cheek.

"Yeah," she said. "Uh huh. Sure." She grabbed an unexploded water balloon from the ground and threw it at him. He blinked several times, shook the water off him as if he were a dog, and gave chase.

He got Izzy first, and then Izzy and Sandy got Rose simultaneously. Tommy chased the Doctor around the garden three times before giving up and soaking Anna, who had been filling more balloons. She responded with great enthusiasm, aiming for Tommy but getting the Doctor, who promptly threw a balloon each at Anna and Tommy. Rose slipped on a patch of wet grass and collided with Mandy, who in turn fell into Izzy. The Doctor tried to help them up, only to be splattered from all sides by water balloons.

"It's not fair," he groused, landing on the grass next to Izzy.

"What's not?" Sandy asked, flopping down on the grass on the other side of her cousin. "Truce!" she called out to the younger cousins. "Time to stop, guys."

"You lot gang up on me," the Doctor answered, reaching out to take Rose's hand. "Why is that?"

"Rose," Sandy said at once.

"What?"

"She's Rose," Izzy said impatiently. "You ought to know that she's special."

"Yeah," the Doctor said cautiously.

Rose rolled her eyes. "They're protective," she explained. "They're idiots, the lot of them."

"Totally mad," Sandy agreed cheerfully. "Welcome to the family."

"I don't do domestic," the Doctor muttered moodily.

"He always like this?" Izzy asked, sitting up.

"Yup," Rose nodded. She smiled up at the sky. "I'm freezing," she said after a minute. "I'm going to have a shower." She pushed herself upright and started towards the house.

"Rose, wait!"

Rose smirked to herself as the Doctor followed. "Want to share the shower?" she asked, tongue in cheek.

* * *

Rose frowned, flipping the pages in her diary. It was so _hard_ to keep track of the time that passed. The easiest way was to keep track of twenty-four hour periods, but that could get difficult. She usually managed to realise that about twenty-three days had passed by her period, but that was what was worrying her now.

She chewed thoughtfully on the tip of her little finger.

"Doctor," she called out, "how many days has it been since we ran into those man-eating flies?"

"Earth days? Forty-one. Why?"

"No reason," she answered. She looked at her diary and sighed. "You done in there?" she asked after a moment.

"Hold on." After a minute the Doctor emerged from the bathroom, rubbing his hair dry. "You alright?" he asked. "Your back's blue."

"It is not," she dismissed, reaching behind her to pull her camisole down to cover her back. "I've not done anything in the past forty days or so that could possibly get me pregnant, have I?"

The Doctor stopped, then dropped his towel. "I bloody hope not," he said strongly. "Why, do you think you are?"

She hummed. "I skipped a period," she nodded. "Two, actually." She ignored his grimace. "So. Did I do anything?"

"I don't know." He flopped into the bed next to her and thought. "Don't think so. You didn't touch any of the asexually pollinating hybrid nettles, did you?"

Rose blinked. "No. I think I'd have remembered doing that."

"Hm. And no sex with any humanoids?"

She smirked. "Well, there was this one…" He gave her a sharp look, then relaxed as he saw her expression. "No, Doctor, I've not had sex in six months or so, as you well know."

"S'probably just your body adjusting to time travel, then," the Doctor shrugged. "A bit like jet lag, only more extreme."

"Alright, then," Rose nodded, closing her diary and dropping it to the floor. She trusted the Doctor in things like that. She yawned and crawled under the covers. "Ugh. Wedding, tomorrow. You got a suit?"

"Yep." He joined her under the covers and pulled her close to him. Her head fit just so under his chin. Now that he had her, he couldn't imagine how he'd ever slept without her near him. "There will be cake at the reception, right?" he checked.

"Yes," Rose said with a smile. "Cake, and jelly and ice cream for the kids – which I'm assuming includes you – and a meal and champagne and dancing and then home."

"Back to sightseeing around the universe," the Doctor nodded. "You sure you still want it?"

"You're an insecure idiot," came her decided answer. "Of course I want it. The TARDIS is home. You're home. You going to understand that any time soon?"

"Oh, in about a thousand years."

She stilled. "I forgot. You're practically ageless."

He sighed and threaded his fingers through her hair. "Don't think about that," he said gruffly. "We've got all the time in the universe, you and me."

"I love you," she said after a moment. "I do. Have done for ages." She smiled against his chest. "You remember when we first met? In Henrik's, before you blew it up?"

"I remember. I thought you were just another little ape, messing up my saving the world."

"And actually, I saved the world and you." She yawned again. "I loved you then. You grabbed my hand and you called me a bonehead and you kept forgetting about Mickey…but I loved you. Couldn't not."

"I knew I loved you when you figured out where the transmitter was," the Doctor said lazily. "Knew you had a brain back in the lift, but then the transmitter…couldn't not love you."

"We're a pair of sentimental idiots," Rose yawned. "And I'm going to sleep."

"Sleep well, love."

She smiled. "Love. I like that." She yawned and snuggled even closer to him. Her leg slipped between his. "Your love."

"Mine," he said softly after she was asleep. "All mine."

* * *

Please review! Next chapter up as soon as, hospital visits allowing. 


	8. Day Seven

Title: Domestic Battleground

Rating: T – not suitable for younger children, because I have a dirty mind.

Summary: The Doctor promised Jackie he'd take Rose back for special occasions. But a whole week with her family? Will he survive, and more importantly, will Rose?

Notes: Day Seven. Final preparations and the marriage. For everyone who said they hoped my Mum was okay – she's doing much, much better. Thank you!

* * *

Day Seven

* * *

Rose closed the door behind her, muting the sounds of Bella's panicking. She breathed a sigh of relief. She loved her cousin, she truly did, but Bella panicking was something she would always try to avoid at all costs. 

She reached a hand up to make sure her hair was still in place, then made her way upstairs to the guest bedroom. The bridal preparations were taking place in Bridget's house because of its size, but she was fairly sure she'd be safe from it upstairs.

Besides, she wanted to see the Doctor in his suit.

She entered the guest bedroom and gaped. The Doctor stood in front of the mirror, adjusting his jacket. He turned as she came in, and grinned at the look on her face.

"Wow," she managed at last. "You…wow."

He barely glanced at her dress. "You look beautiful," he said honestly.

"What, for a human?"

"Just beautiful," he shook his head. He held his hand out. "Come here."

"Don't mess up my hair," she warned, slipping into his arms. She straightened his tie slightly. "God, isn't this dress awful," she moaned.

"Nah." He blew gauze out of his face. "Just…big."

"Big and orange," Rose nodded. She reached a hand up and cupped his cheek. "You should do a suit more often."

"Tell you what, I'll take you to the opera in Paris. I'll have to wear a tux for that." He grinned down at her. "Late eighteen hundreds."

"You just want to see me in a corset," she teased. "Do you have any idea how hard it is to breathe in those things?" She mock-shuddered. "You just like that they push my breasts up."

The Doctor chose, wisely, not to respond to that. Instead he managed to get his arms properly around her waist and pulled her in for a kiss.

She hummed happily into his mouth. "Love you," she whispered when they parted. "God, I love you. Even though you're full of it."

"Well, that's good," he said. "Because I love you, even though you're wearing something that makes the slime creatures of Kassel look handsome."

Rose tilted her head. "Haven't met those."

"No, and you won't, either," the Doctor said. "They eat humanoids." He grinned, his little-boy grin that she loved so much. "I went there once – that was a couple hundred years ago – and almost got eaten. That was –"

"Fantastic," she completed for him, smiling. "I'm sure it was." She grimaced as she heard her mother call her from downstairs. "I'd better…"

"Yeah. Don't want your mum even more mad at me," the Doctor nodded. "I'm just going to – "

"Hide up here," Rose grinned. "Right." She leaned up and kissed him. "I'll come get you when it's time to go. You got something to do?"

He nodded. "Re-reading 'Oliver Twist'."

"Don't read too quick, yeah? I know you." She pulled away and went to the door, then her eyes strayed back to him. She swallowed hard against the lump that had appeared in her throat.

"You alright?" he asked, watching her keenly.

"Yeah," she said, and cleared her throat. "Yeah, fine."

She went downstairs and was caught up in the whirlwind of dresses, jewellery, hair, makeup, and panicking that she supposed accompanied every wedding. The lump in her throat didn't go away.

* * *

Rose had always hated wedding music, ever since she was young. She wasn't quite sure why, but she thought it maybe had something to do with the fact that the day they'd buried her father, there had been a wedding going on at the Catholic church down the road. 

Bella looked beautiful. Despite her bad choice in bridesmaid's dresses, her own dress was magnificent; a full skirt, a bodice, and sleeves off the shoulder. Cream, rather than white, it highlighted her particular loveliness.

She hugged Rose in the church vestibule.

"Are you alright?" she asked in a low voice, as Julie fussed with her veil. "You're pale as anything."

"Oh, Bella, honestly," Rose said awkwardly. "I should be asking you that."

"I love him, and he loves me," Bella said, smiling bashfully. "I'm so happy, Rose. It's the strangest feeling – as if I were floating."

"You look it," Rose said with feeling. "You're glowing." She clutched Bella's hand. "You're going to be so happy," she predicted.

"Ready?" Izzy asked, shaking out her skirts.

"Never readier," Bella nodded. "Mum?"

Julie nodded, wiping her eyes. "Yeah, I'm good," she nodded. "Let me get in there, get the music started." She cast an eye over the bridesmaids. "Michelle, watch your arm," she instructed. "Oh, Bella…" She gave a watery smile and went into the church.

A moment later the music started up, and the bridal procession started.

Rose caught a glimpse of the Doctor as she walked down the aisle behind her cousin. Whilst everyone else watched Bella, he had eyes only for her. She looked away from him, keeping her eyes forward. She didn't know why, but she couldn't quite think about him at the moment.

She took her seat, Izzy on one side and Michelle on the other, and the ceremony started.

"Who brings this man to marry this woman?" the vicar asked.

"I do," Sam – Julie's husband – said, and stepped back.

"This is the time you have chosen to become husband and wife," the vicar began. Rose blinked. Time. "We are here, not only to witness your commitment to each other, but also to wish you both every happiness in your future life together." Time was a strange thing, part of her mused. "Within its framework of commitment and loyalty," he continued, "marriage enables the establishment of a home, where through trust, patience and respect, the love and affection which you have for each other may develop into a deep and lasting relationship." And he was lasting, she knew. He could last beyond stars, beyond worlds and civilisations. She trusted him, she respected him, she loved him. Would they last? "We who are witnessing your marriage, hope that despite the stresses inevitable in any life your Love, Respect for each other, your trust and understanding of each other will increase your contentment and heighten your joy in living." She hadn't lived before she'd met him, not really. She'd existed in a mundane world, and he'd woken her up. Made her experience things, experience life in a way she'd never believed possible. But would they last?

"Everyday you live," the vicar continued, "learn how to receive love with as much understanding as you give it. Find things within yourself, then you can share them with each other." He shared things with her, and she in turn had taught him to feel again. "Do not fear this love. Have an open heart and a sincere mind. Be sincerely interested in each other's happiness. Be constant and consistent in your love. From this comes security and strength." He was her strength. She couldn't do anything without him anymore. Was that a bad thing? She didn't know. "All that we love deeply becomes a part of us on this day of your marriage. Try to commit yourselves fully and freely to each other." Would they last?

"Before you, Stephen and Bella, are joined in marriage in my presence of these your family, friends and witnesses, I remind you of the serious and binding nature of the relationship you are now about to enter. I shall now ask you to make your marriage vows."

Stephen went first. "Bella, I love you. I knew you were the right one from practically the first time I met you. I love your enthusiasm and your sense of humour and your decency. I am proud and honoured that you love me back. I promise to support you in all things, to be with you for as long as you want me, and to not let your indulge in your chocolate addiction too often." A ripple of laughter went through the church.

Bella smiled. "Stephen. I don't know why I have your love, but I will do my best to live up to the honour you have given me. I will support you always, and love you for the rest of my days."

The vicar smiled. "The rings, please?" Chris handed them to the vicar. "Stephen, will you take Bella to be your lawful wife, will you love her, honour and keep her in sickness and in health and forsaking all others keep only unto her so long as you both shall live?"

"I will," Stephen said solemnly.

The vicar nodded. "And Bella, will you take Stephen to be your lawful husband, will you love him, honour and keep him in sickness and in health and forsaking all others keep only unto him so long as you both shall live?"

Bella smiled. "I will." The vicar held out the Bible with the rings.

"Bella," Stephen intoned, "with this ring, I thee wed."

"Stephen, with this ring, I thee wed."

A ring was like time, Rose thought suddenly. Endless and twisting, constantly starting and stopping and changing.

"As you have consented together to be bound to one another in lawful marriage," the vicar said, "you have made special promises to each other which have been symbolized by the joining of hands, taking of vows and by the giving and receiving of rings. By the authority vested in me, according to the laws of this country, I now pronounce you to be husband and wife." He smiled. "You may kiss the bride," he told Stephen.

Rose looked down at her hands, twisting in her lap. She hated weddings. Sentimental and full of stupid promises that couldn't be kept.

Izzy nudged her, and she stood up with the rest of the congregation, watching as the new husband and wife walked down the aisle and out of the church. People followed them, laughing and smiling. The photographer was waiting outside, and the bridesmaids and groomsmen had to be there too.

Rose gritted her teeth and smiled for the camera and the relatives and the friends. When she caught the bouquet, she smiled some more and let her mother photograph her.

As soon as she could, she pressed the bouquet into Izzy's hands and disappeared back into the church.

* * *

Rose wiped angrily at her eyes and sank into the pew in the tiny side chapel. She clenched her fists. "This is stupid," she whispered. "Stupid, stupid." 

"Are you alright?"

Rose looked up. It was the vicar. He stood in the doorway, looking compassionately at her.

"I'm fine," she said quickly. "Sorry, was I disturbing you?"

"Not at all," the vicar assured. "You look as though you might need a friendly ear." He moved into the chapel and sat next to her. "It's Rose, isn't it?"

"Yeah," she nodded. "I'm happy for them," she said quickly. "It's not about that, so don't think it is, yeah?"

"Of course," the vicar inclined his head. "May I ask what it is about?"

Rose shrugged slightly. "Dunno, really. Just…weddings." She waved a hand. "Promises of love and faithfulness, and whatever." She shook her head. "Doesn't last. One in three marriages end in divorce, right?"

"That is, sadly, true."

"So what's the point?" she demanded angrily. "I love Bella, and she's happy with Stephen, but what's the point of trying to make a commitment when it might all fall apart?"

"People try not to think about that aspect of it," the vicar said after a moment. "Hope, Rose, is what keeps people wanting weddings. The commitment it shows is part hope that the two participants will have their happily ever after, and part faith that love triumphs. It is the need for the fairytales that we are told as children, and the need for recognition from the world in general."

Rose hugged herself. "But it doesn't work out," she whispered. "People change, they grow apart. Love isn't enough. And if it is, people can die. Accidents happen. There's so much in the way."

"Only if you let it be." The vicar paused. "Are you thinking of someone in particular?" he asked gently.

Rose didn't answer. "I caught the bouquet," she said instead. "M'not superstitious, or anything – I don't believe in those old traditions. But…"

"But those traditions are so deeply part of us, known from our earliest days," the vicar nodded. "Did it distress you, catching the flowers?"

"I guess," she sighed. "It's complicated." She eyed him. "You can't say any of this to anyone else, right? It's private. Confidential?"

"Of course."

Rose took a breath. "There's this guy – I mean, there always is, isn't there? But he's…different. Not like everyone else." She gazed, unseeing, up at the window. "And he's amazing," she confessed in a whisper. "He's like nothing on Earth. He's so passionate about everything he does." She blinked away tears.

"Do you love this man?" the vicar asked gently.

"Yes, of course." It was inconceivable that she didn't. "I'd do anything for him. He's everything." She glanced at the vicar. "That scares me," she admitted.

He nodded. "I can see how it might do. But you obviously don't love him to the exclusion of all over love."

"No," Rose said slowly. "But I'd die for him. I'd kill to save him." She stood and started pacing. "But he's different. Our relationship is different. I only…we only told each other how we feel a few days ago, but we've been travelling together for a couple of years. He's my best friend and my lover and my…guide, I guess, all in one. What if something goes wrong? What if he stops loving me like that and sends me back here?"

"Would that be so truly awful?"

"Yes! This isn't my home anymore, my home is with him!" She stopped. "It'd break my heart. I used to think that was really clichéd, y'know? But it's true."

The vicar watched her, fingers laced together in front of him. "You're worried that he'll leave you. You want some sort of commitment from this man. Have you talked to him about this?"

"No." She bit her lip. "He doesn't do commitment, he doesn't do domestic. This week, staying with my family – it's been hell on him."

"But he did it," the vicar observed. "For you." She nodded. "Is that not a sign of commitment?"

"Yeah, I guess," Rose nodded slowly. "He wouldn't do it for anyone else." She sat down again and smiled wistfully. "But it's not always enough, is it? That's why people get married, have kids." She pressed a hand to her stomach. "I thought I was pregnant," she said. "But I'm not."

"Do you want his child?"

"Yes," Rose said after a moment. "I mean…I wouldn't go out of my way, but…" She closed her eyes and saw herself, heavily pregnant with the Doctor's child. A child with the Doctor's eyes and blond hair and an insatiable curiosity, always wanting to know more, always asking questions of his father…

His father…

A strangled kind of gasp escaped her. Regeneration. She hadn't even thought of it.

"It's never going to work," she realised.

The vicar touched her shoulder gently, then his hand left her to be replaced by a familiar weight that after a moment ran down her arm so he could take her hand.

"You really think that?" he asked, an odd note in his voice. "That we won't work?"

"You're going to change," she reminded him, not looking at him. "You won't really be you anymore. You probably won't even remember me."

"I'll always remember you," the Doctor said harshly. "How could I ever forget the woman I love? I'll love you no matter how many regenerations I go through."

"You can't promise that. Or you shouldn't." She shook her head. "You mean too much to me – as a friend – I can't – " She cut herself off, angrily wiping at her tears.

"Rose…" He crouched down in front of her. "What is it? What's wrong?"

She searched his face, stifling a sob. "I'm scared," she admitted at last. "Scared of the future."

"We'll go to the past."

She had to laugh. "Idiot," she said, clutching at his hand. "I never thought this would happen. Us. You and me. It's odd."

"Good odd?" he asked, watching her carefully.

"Yes," she nodded. "God, I'm sorry. I'm being an emotional twit." She wiped her cheeks dry.

"No, you're not," he contradicted gently. "I'm scared too." He tilted his head. "I'm only scared with you. For you, about you. Of you, sometimes."

"You liar," she snorted, poking his shoulder.

"I am! You can be a right dragon!" He knelt, leant forward, and kissed her gently. He grinned when he pulled back. "I've got an idea," he announced.

Rose's eyes twinkled. "Uh oh."

"Oi! I have very good ideas," he said, pretending to be offended. "You stay here." He left the chapel, only to reappear moments later with the vicar. "Right then. We're getting married."

Rose blinked several times. "Uh…huh…" she said slowly. "Since when?"

"Since now," the Doctor grinned. He patted his pockets. "I'm sure I've got…aha!" He pulled two rings out of his pocket. "Knew I had these with me."

Rose stood up and folded her arms. "Is that what you call a proposal?" she asked, eyebrows raised. The vicar was smiling at her from behind the Doctor. "So sure I'll agree, are you?"

A vulnerable look crossed his face for the barest of moments. "Oh. I didn't think of that." He shoved his hands in his pockets. "Um. Will you? Marry me, I mean."

Rose's lips twitched, wanting to tremble with tears rather than laugh. "Forever and always, Doctor?" Always, her eyes asked, even through your regeneration? Even through family visits like this one, even through the days when you'll wish you'd never brought me, even through the days when I nearly get you killed?

"Always," he said with conviction. He turned to the vicar. "Well?"

The vicar smiled broadly. "Very well. Rose, come and stand here." Rose stepped into position. "A brief ceremony, because you will both be needed at the reception." They both nodded. "You have both heard the words traditionally spoken at a wedding, so I shall simply say that in love, you should strive to share all feelings and fears with the other. Differences, be they of opinion or taste, can only make you stronger together." He looked from Rose to the Doctor, then back again. "Do you wish to say individual vows?" he asked.

"Yes." The Doctor turned to Rose. "Rose…I love you. That's never, ever going to change. Ever. I am always going to be there with you, showing you the stars and learning from you. I can't promise a smooth ride, but I can promise it'll be fun." He brushed her cheek with the backs of his fingers, wiping away the last of her tears. "Eternity, Rose."

Rose took a deep breath and looked at their joined hands. "Doctor…God, this is so crazy. You're so crazy." She looked up at him again. "I love you for that. For everything you've shown me and given me. And even though you're a stupid idiot, and really full of it…you're it." She laughed. "God, this is insane. I can't believe I'm doing this." She turned serious again. "Eternity. And I mean it."

The vicar frowned momentarily. "I'm afraid I don't know your name, Doctor," he said apologetically.

Rose and the Doctor looked at each other for a moment, then he gave a faint smile. "Theta," he said to the vicar. "Just Theta."

"Very well. Theta, will you take Rose to be your lawful wife, will you love her, honour and keep her in sickness and in health and forsaking all others keep only unto her so long as you both shall live?"

"I will," the Doctor said at once.

The vicar nodded. "And Rose, will you take Theta to be your lawful husband, will you love him, honour and keep him in sickness and in health and forsaking all others keep only unto him so long as you both shall live?"

"I will," Rose said faintly.

"The rings?" the vicar asked of the Doctor, who handed one over but kept the other.

"Rose," he said softly, "with this ring, I thee wed. For all time."

Rose took the other ring from the vicar. "Doctor…Theta," she corrected herself. "With this ring, I thee wed. For eternity."

"As you have consented together to be bound to one another in lawful marriage," the vicar said, repeating the words of earlier, "you have made special promises to each other which have been symbolized by the joining of hands, taking of vows and by the giving and receiving of rings. By the authority vested in me, according to the laws of this country, I now pronounce you to be husband and wife." He smiled. "You may kiss the –"

He didn't finish; the Doctor swept Rose into his arms, crushing her to him and capturing her mouth with his.

* * *

The reception was great; Stephen had rustled up a band from somewhere and they played oldies music most of the time, it being Bella's favourite kind. Rose ate lunch and cake and drank champagne and held the Doctor's hand whenever she could. 

She danced with Tim and Josh. Stephen's brothers, Chris and George, spun her around the dance floor once each, and Stephen grabbed her for a dance as well to say how much he appreciated her coming back for the wedding.

Grandpa Mark did a foxtrot with her, and she twirled around with the twins, who were a little giddy, having been allowed a sip of champagne each. She didn't laugh when Andy tried to dance with her, and she solemnly allowed Tommy to stand on her feet.

The Doctor shunned dancing with the elder cousins, but was pulled onto the dance floor by Anna at one point, and Sandra. Michelle approached him and shyly thanked him for the present he'd given her. Grandma Sarah ordered him to dance with her, and he obeyed mostly because of the glint in Grandpa Mark's eyes.

Finally he managed to escape the clutches of the relatives and worked his way over to Rose.

His new wife.

He grinned as she appeared in front of him. "Rose."

She smiled. "Doctor."

"Care to dance?" he asked, holding his hand out.

"With you?" she checked. "Always."

She took his hand and lifted her other hand to his shoulder. His free hand went to her waist, and he took her out onto the dance floor.

"I didn't know you could dance," she said after a moment. She tightened her hold on his hand; the ring he now wore warmed under her touch. "You been keeping secrets, Doctor?"

"A few," he admitted, twirling her around. "For surprises. Nothing bad."

"I know," she nodded, smiling. "I know all your bad points. You always leave your towels on the floor."

"You have a habit of picking up strays," he riposted.

"Your ship hardly ever lands right," she pointed out.

"You spilt tea over one of my books," he noted.

"You love me." She laughed softly. "God, I don't believe it."

"You'd better," he said seriously. "Because I'm not letting you go." He lifted their joined hands, and kissed her knuckles. "My wife," he murmured, low enough that nobody else would hear.

"My husband," she replied in the same soft tone. "Theta." She lifted her hand from his shoulder to cup his cheek; her thumb stroked his cheekbone gently. "Thank you." Thank you for trusting, she said silently. Thank you for loving.

* * *


	9. Epilogue

Title: Domestic Battleground

Rating: T – not suitable for younger children, because I have a dirty mind.

Summary: The Doctor promised Jackie he'd take Rose back for special occasions. But a whole week with her family? Will he survive, and more importantly, will Rose?

Notes: Epilogue.

* * *

Rose picked up her bag and looked around the room to make sure she hadn't left anything. The bed was neatly made. The bridesmaid dress was hung on the bathroom door, waiting for Jackie to take it back to the flat. The towels were on the rack. The windows were closed. 

It had been a very odd week, she reflected. Not a bad one, but an odd one. She lifted her left hand and looked at the ring there. Married. She shook her head in bemusement. Crazy.

She turned at the light tap on the door. Jackie stood, struggling to keep a smile on her face.

"Hi, Mum," Rose greeted softly. "You alright?"

"Yeah," Jackie nodded. She entered the room and took the bag from her daughter. "I haven't seen you enough, this week," she said sadly.

"It's been hectic," Rose nodded. "I'll get the Doctor to bring me back soon, yeah?"

"When's soon, Rose? A month, for me, a year for you?"

Rose shook her head. "No, Mum, don't. Just don't, yeah? I can't stay. I couldn't possibly. No way."

"You really love him," Jackie said wonderingly. "It's…I dunno."

"Me neither," Rose said after a moment. "But I do. And I love you, Mum, I do, but I could never stay. Not anymore." She shoved her hands in her pockets. She was well aware that her mother would be furious if she found out that her only daughter had got married without her. "I'd better go say goodbye," she said.

"Can't you stay just one more night?"

Rose shook her head. "Nah. He's got wandering feet. And I do too, now. We don't like staying in one place too long."

"Alright," Jackie nodded after a moment. "I, uh, got you a present. The Doctor put it in the TARDIS. Open it later, yeah?" Rose nodded silently. "Let's go say goodbye then."

Mother and daughter descended together. The family had gathered in Bridget's sitting room to say goodbye to their favourite cousin.

Rose hugged all the younger cousins and signed Michelle's cast. She kissed Grandma Sarah's cheek and hugged her aunts and uncle. She pulled Josh's ear and told him to be good with his girlfriend. She told Sandy to keep working hard, and reminded Tim that he still owed her a drink.

She hugged Grandpa Mark tight. "Seeya then, Grandpa," she muttered.

"Keep safe with that bloke of yours," he told her softly, and passed her on to Izzy.

"You better bring me back something, this time," Izzy said with a sort-of smile. "Something tacky and useless, yeah?"

Rose nodded slowly. "Yeah." She hugged her cousin. "It's been good seeing you, Izzy," she said honestly.

"You too," Izzy murmured. She released Rose, who turned to her mother.

"I love you, Mum," Rose said after a moment. "I'll miss you."

"I'll miss you," Jackie said, barely holding back tears. She would never, ever get used to this. "You call me, you hear?"

Rose nodded. "I will. I promise." She hugged her mother, then hefted her bag and turned to the door, where the Doctor was waiting. "We good?" she asked him.

He nodded, face blank. "Ready when you are," he told her.

"Right." They made their way to the front door, and Sandra stopped her for one last kiss. "Well, I'll see you," Rose said. "I had a great time. I'll send you a postcard, yeah?"

"Alright," Bridget smiled. "Go on, then. You'll miss your flight."

Rose and the Doctor exchanged a smile. "Sure," she nodded. "C'mon then, you."

They walked down the path and turned onto the street. Rose waved one last time before they turned the corner.

The TARDIS was waiting, and she stepped inside with an odd feeling of relief. It was good to be home.

"Right," the Doctor said, closing the door behind him. "Paris, I said, right?"

"Wherever," Rose said, grinning. "I don't care." She dropped her bag and flung her arms around him. "I don't care," she repeated. "Although I hope bed figures in your plans somewhere."

"Yours or mine?"

"Ours."

* * *

The End.

Thanks to the people at time-and-chips, there will be a sequel. It's all their fault. Thank you.


End file.
